Nuts- Roasted or Raw?

This may seem like a silly question but I was wondering if there is any difference in nutritional value in eating nuts raw or roasted. I like eating them both ways (especially almonds) and was just wondering what people thought.

Cheers

My understanding is that it's best to roast or soak them.

It doesn't matter.

I would go with raw, simply because raw has all the nutrients, and nothing is "cooked out". Basically nuts are great any way you see fit, just save some for the squirrels.

Yeah I was thinking raw would probably be better and it's the way i usually eat them, oh well they are great either way !

My wife soaks almonds overnight before she eats them. She also soaks other nuts as well. She doesn't go as far as sprouting them, but she says they can provide additional nutrients that way.

She does a lot of research into food and nutrition, so I consider her a reliable source, at least for me.

Interesting stuff, thanls people

soaking nuts overnight in pure water makes them more digestible, especially almonds.

Personal experience leads me to believe that brazil nuts are horrendous after soaking - but lovely covered in dark or milk chocolate.

Almonds are lovely soaked and roasted/dehydrated. Hazelnuts are pretty good too.

Raw nuts contain anti-nutrients that greatly reduce the absorption of most minerals, but only those from the food itself. Vitamin C and meat reduce the damage done by the anti-nutrients, and red meat's a much better source of iron and zinc anyway. Whether nuts are raw or roasted won't make much difference unless they happen to be the main dietary source of the relevant minerals.

Here's a report on some iron-absorption experiments that were carried out on various nuts (and peanuts and coconut): http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/reprint/47/2/270.

Another similar but also interesting blog post about eating either soaked or roasted nuts http://donmatesz.blogspot.com/2009/06/t ... lying.html (WFS)

My personal favorate way to eat any type of nut, is oil blancheing. You slowly roast the nut in its own type of oil and it yeilds a product that is not only higher in good fats but has a crunch and a flavor that will blow your mind.

Andrew

ajhoover said:

My personal favorate way to eat any type of nut, is oil blancheing. You slowly roast the nut in its own type of oil and it yeilds a product that is not only higher in good fats but has a crunch and a flavor that will blow your mind.

Andrew

Soaked almonds digest better for sure.

Ah! This blancheing is interesting.