CWhat is more typical than chestnuts when you think of autumn? Nothing. Emblem of the season, chestnuts are a real panacea, very rich in nutritional elements, by eating them you fill up on energy and nutritional elements. Not only that but they are also friendly to celiacsbeing naturally gluten freeare at the center of many studies as an antioxidant and anti-tumor food.
Chestnuts, richness in a small fruit
Whether you buy a small bag to eat in the park, sitting on a bench, or at the supermarket to then cook in the oven at home, it doesn’t matter: chestnuts are among the most typical fruits of autumn. And, given its many properties, we must take advantage of it. «Chestnuts are a a real panacea for health because they are rich in starches, carbohydrates, lipids, fibre, vitamins and trace elements. The starch portion is mostly represented by amylopectin and amylose” he explains Flora Caruso, gastroenterology specialist at Clinic Boutique, medical director of the Luigi Vanvitelli polyclinic and creator of the INTESTINAMENTO method.
The two forms of starch in which chestnuts are rich have two fundamental effects for human health: «First of all I am a real energy booster for the body, secondly they are a valuable food for the intestinal microbiota where the dextrin derived from amylopectin is transformed into short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) which protect the integrity of the colonic mucosa and collaborate in the prevention of colorectal cancer” explains the expert. Furthermore, the fibers contained stimulate the microbiota by reducing blood lipids and contributing to cardiovascular prevention.
Antioxidants and with a calming effect
But there’s more. These small fruits also contain other benefits. First of all, vitamins and antioxidants: chestnuts are in fact rich in vitamins E and C, so much so that it represents 20% of the daily vitamin requirement. Furthermore they also contain a good amount of tannins and phenotype. Rich in trace elements, they are full of calcium, of which they exceed the daily requirement, potassium and magnesium.
It should not be underestimated that they also contain GABA, gamma-aminobutyric acid, a neurotransmitter of the synapses of the central nervous system, and vitamin B6, both of which they act on the central nervous system to reduce and calm anxiety and stress.
How to cook them and how many to eat?
«Several scientific studies have looked at how to optimize the cooking of chestnuts, which are indigestible raw. It turned out that the cooking technique that best enhances their nutritional composition is roastingwhich allows the proportions of soluble and insoluble proteins and fibers to be kept intact. However, boiling should be avoided because it involves a loss of nutrients and proteins and the increase in the lipid component” explains Dr. Caruso.
But how many can you eat? As the expert explains, 40 g is sufficient, so about 5 chestnuts, three times a week to enjoy all the benefits. Not to forget that, as the expert specifies, chestnuts they are also excellent from an intestinal point of view because they are rich in fibre, therefore suitable in case of constipation. However, abuse can cause paradoxical effects such as flatulence. An alternative? Chestnut flourwhich retains all its nutritional powers and lends itself to over preparations, as well as being suitable for celiacs.
One last curiosity, for men
«Being very rich in potential, chestnuts are the subject of study above all for their large quantity of antioxidants and anti-tumor agents. Furthermore, recent research has highlighted the positive role of the polysaccharide contained inside: this has benefits on the microbiota and leads to a improvement of spermatogenesis by acting on male infertility in general» concludes the expert.
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