Italians love it.
Dried fruits are excellent health allies. Poor in water and therefore more concentrated in minerals and dense in energy, they improve memory, concentration, regulate mood, limit the storage of cholesterol, boost transit, promote satiety, reduce fatigue, strengthen the immune system.. One of them, much less known than almond or hazelnut, would also be beneficial for people who lack iron.
This nut is particularly appreciated in Italy: it is found in the composition of many transalpine specialties such as pesto sauce, caponata siciliana or even torta della nonna, a cake from Tuscany filled with pastry cream. We of course love it for its slightly resinous and sweet taste, its crunchy texture but also for the abundance of minerals it contains. For example, we find phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, manganese, copper, potassium, vitamin E, vitamin K which are all good antioxidants. But also “iron in appreciable quantities (almost 1 mg of iron per serving)”, report researchers from the Faculty of Food Engineering in Manisa, Turkey in a study published in the journal Food Chemistry. This iron wealth in fact “seeds commonly used to treat anemia“, add Brazilian scientists in a study most recent published in the same journal.
If we want to have energy and make up for a lack of iron, we must rely on pine nuts, seeds which develop under each scale of the pine cone. They are easily found in supermarkets or in bulk in organic stores. The best are parasol pine nuts, shelled and certified organic.
They are eaten alone as a snack or incorporated into dishes (salads, soups, stir-fries, sauces) or desserts, at a rate of around fifteen grams per day (a nice handful). Generally speaking, the iron contained in plants is absorbed much better if it is combined with foods rich in vitamin C. It is therefore best to combine pine nuts with fruits and vegetables such as kiwis, red fruits , citrus fruits, guavas, peppers, fennel, spinach, cabbage…