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{{About|nuts in botany|foods called nuts, which may not be true botanical nuts|Nut (food)|other kinds of nut|Nut (disambiguation)}}{{Short description|Fruit with outer shell protecting kernel}}
]s from the ]]]
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]]]
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
A '''nut''' can be either a ] or a ].
A '''nut''' is a ] consisting of a hard or tough ] protecting a kernel which is usually edible. In general usage and in a culinary sense, many dry ]s are called nuts, but in a botanical context, "nut" implies that the shell does not open to release the ] (]).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/science/nut-plant-reproductive-body |title=Nut: Plant reproductive body |publisher=Encyclopedia Britannica |date=6 June 2024 |access-date=1 July 2024}}</ref>


Most seeds come from fruits that naturally free themselves from the shell, but this is not the case in nuts such as ]s, ]s, and ]s, which have hard shell walls and originate from a compound ovary. <ref name="tree_nuts_composition_phytochemicals_and_health_effects">{{Cite book |last1=Alasalvar |first1=Cesarettin |last2=Shahidi |first2=Fereidoon |title=Tree Nuts: Composition, Phytochemicals, and Health Effects (Nutraceutical Science and Technology) |date=17 December 2008 |publisher=CRC |isbn=978-0-8493-3735-2 |page=143}}</ref>
== Botanical definitions ==


== Definition ==
A '''nut''' in ] is a ''simple dry ]'' with one ] (rarely two) in which the ] wall becomes very hard (stony or woody) at maturity, and where the seed remains unattached or unfused with the ovary wall. Most nuts come from ] with ''inferior'' ovaries (see ]) and all are ''indehiscent'' (not opening at maturity). True nuts are produced, for example, by some plants — families of the ] ].
]
;Order Fagales
A seed is the mature fertilised ] of a plant; it consists of three parts, the ] which will develop into a new plant, stored food for the embryo, and a protective seed coat. ], a nut is a fruit with a woody ] developing from a syncarpous ]. Nuts may be contained in an ], a cup-shaped structure formed from the flower ]s. The involucre may be scaly, spiny, leafy or tubular, depending on the species of nut.<ref name=Palomar>{{cite web |url=https://www2.palomar.edu/users/warmstrong/ecoph8.htm |title=Fruits Called Nuts |author=Armstrong, W.P. |date=15 March 2009 |publisher=Palomar College |access-date=28 June 2021 |archive-date=7 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211107151123/https://www2.palomar.edu/users/warmstrong/ecoph8.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> Most nuts come from the ] with ''inferior'' ovaries (see ]) and all are ''indehiscent'' (not opening at maturity). True nuts are produced, for example, by some plant families of the ] ]. These include ] (''Fagus''), ] (''Castanea''), ] (''Quercus''), ] (''Lithocarpus'') and ] (''Notholithocarpus'') in the family ], as well as ], ] (''Corylus'') and ] (''Carpinus'') in the family ].
*Family ]
** ] - esp. ]
** ] (''Juglans'')
** ], ] (''Carya'')
** ] (''Pterocarya'')
* Family ]
** ] (''Castanea'')
** ] (''Fagus'')
** ] (''Quercus'')
** ], ] (''Lithocarpus'')
* Family ]
** ] (''Alnus'')
** ] (''Betula'')
** ], ] (''Corylus'')
** ]


A small nut may be called a "nutlet" (formerly called a nucule,<ref name=nucule>E.g., {{Citation |last=Lindley |first=John |author-link=John Lindley |title=The Vegetable Kingdom |publisher=Bradbury and Evans |date=1846 |location=London |pages=66 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ybw9AAAAYAAJ}}; compare {{cite web |url=https://www.wildflowers-and-weeds.com/Plant_Families/Verbenaceae.htm |title=Verbenaceae: Plants of the Verbena Family |last=Elpel |first=Thomas J. |date=1997–2021 |website=Wildflowers-and-Weeds.com |access-date=28 April 2024}} The term ''nucula'' was applied specifically to hazelnuts (''Corylus'') in {{cite book |last=Watson |first=P. W. |author-link=Peter William Watson |title=Dendrologia Britannica |publisher=Author |date=1825 |location=London |pages=xlix |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J2Q-AAAAcAAJ}}</ref> a term otherwise referring to the ] of ]<ref name=stonewort>{{cite book |last=Lindley |first=John |author-link=John Lindley |title=An Introduction to the Natural System of Botany |publisher=G & C & H Carvill |date=1831 |location=New York |pages=323 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q2QaAAAAYAAJ}}</ref>). In ], the term "nutlet" can be used to describe a ] or pyrene, which is a ] covered by a stony layer, such as the kernel of a ].<ref name=pyrena>{{cite web |url=https://www.mobot.org/mobot/latindict/keyDetail.aspx?keyWord=drupe |title=A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin s.v. Drupe |last=Eckel |first=P. M. |date=2010–2023 |publisher=Missouri Botanical Garden |access-date=28 April 2024}}</ref>
== Culinary definition and uses ==
Walnuts and ] (]) have fruits that are difficult to classify. They are considered to be nuts under some definitions but are also referred to as ] nuts.<ref name="Palomar" />
A '''nut''' in ] is a much less restrictive category than a nut in botany, as the term is applied (or misapplied, depending upon the viewpoint) to many ]s that are not true nuts. Any large, oily ] found within a shell and used in food may be regarded as a nut. Because nuts generally have a high oil content, they are a highly prized food and energy source. A large number of seeds are edible by humans and used in cooking, eaten raw, sprouted, or roasted as a ], or pressed for oil that is used in ] and ]. Nuts (or seeds generally) are also a significant source of nutrition for wildlife. This is particularly true in temperate climates where animals such as ]s and ]s store ]s and other nuts during the autumn to keep them from starving during the winter and early spring.


==Evolutionary history==
] pine nuts — unshelled, and shell, above; shelled, below]]
{{Empty section|date=January 2025}}
Some fruits and seeds that are nuts in the culinary sense but not in the botanical sense:
*] is the edible seed of a ] — the leathery "flesh" is removed at harvest.
*] is the seed from a ].
*] (used for oil) is a seed.
*] nut is a seed.
*] is a dry, fibrous drupe.
*] is an inedible capsule.
*] nut is a creamy white kernel (]).
*]
*] is a ] and a seed.
*] is the seed of several species of ] (] trees).
*] nut is the seed of a thin-shelled drupe.


== Toxicity ==
''See also:'' ]
Nuts used for food are a common source of food allergens.<ref name="lpi">{{cite web |title=Nuts |publisher=Micronutrient Information Center, Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR |date=1 September 2018 |url=https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/food-beverages/nuts |access-date=28 March 2019 |archive-date=28 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328191713/https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/food-beverages/nuts |url-status=live}}</ref> Reactions can range from mild symptoms to severe ones, a condition known as ], which can be life-threatening. The reaction is due to the release of ] by the body in response to an ] in the nuts, causing ].<ref>{{cite web |author=Harding, Mary |title=Nut Allergy |url=https://patient.info/allergies-blood-immune/food-allergy-and-intolerance/nut-allergy |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220130123419/https://patient.info/allergies-blood-immune/food-allergy-and-intolerance/nut-allergy |archive-date=30 January 2022 |access-date=10 July 2021 |publisher=Patient}}</ref> Many experts suggest that a person with an allergy to peanuts should avoid eating tree nuts, and vice versa.<ref name="lpi" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Common Food Allergens |url=http://www.foodallergy.org/allergens/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070613040928/http://www.foodallergy.org/allergens/index.html |archive-date=13 June 2007 |access-date=24 June 2007 |publisher=]}}</ref>


== Consumption as food ==
==Advocacy of nuts by John Harvey Kellogg==
{{Main|Nut (food)}}
]]]
]Nuts contain the diverse nutrients that are needed for the growth of a new plant.<ref name="lpi" /> Composition varies, but they tend to have a low water and ] content, with high levels of fats, ], ], and ]s.<ref name="lpi" />
In 1920, ], the medical director of the Battle Creek Sanitarium wrote an article entitled "Nuts May Save the Race" within his book ''The Itinerary of a Breakfast''. Kellogg's article promoted nuts as an ideal source of protein, particularly after the first world war and the shortage of meat sources throughout Europe and America. Kellogg explains that nuts were primarily considered to be a luxury in society, but should take the place of meat as a main source of protein in the American diet. The principal reason nuts were not prominent in the American diet is because of the idea that nuts were highly indigestible and that they were relatively expensive. However, within his article, Kellogg argues that there is no scientific proof of their indigestibility and that the price of nuts is comparable to the price of meat. (J.H. Kellogg, 1920, 173–176).


] (''Tamias striatus'') with a hazelnut in its mouth]]Nuts are eaten by humans and wildlife.<ref name="lpi" /> Because nuts generally have a high oil content, they are a significant energy source.<ref name="lpi" /> Many seeds are edible by humans and used in cooking, eaten raw, sprouted, or roasted as a ], ground to make nut butters, or pressed for oil that is used in cooking and cosmetics.<ref name="lpi" />
Kellogg presents the advantages of a nut diet, promoting their benefits to the American population. First he argues that unlike meat, nuts are free from waste products. Nuts are also free from bacteria that cause things to easily spoil, and they last for a long time. They are free from parasites, like tapeworm and trichnae, and do not pose a great threat to consumers. (Kellogg 175).


===Constituents===
In a section of his article on nuts, Kellogg made a plea to the American population, writing "Something Must Be Done." He argued that the meat supply is rapidly diminishing, and that nuts could be the only "future sustenance of the race." He predicted, correctly, that nut growing was going to become one of the most important agricultural industries, and that nuts were truly one of the earth's finest bounties (Kellogg 200–203).
Nuts are the source of energy and nutrients for the new plant. They contain a relatively large quantity of calories, essential ] and ]s including ] and ], vitamins, and essential amino acids.<ref name=lpi/>


==See also==
Kellogg's article and his promotion of a strictly vegetarian diet led to a new appreciation of nuts and nut butters as a perfect source of protein in an American diet.
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==Nut allergy== * ]
* ]
{{main|Nut Allergy}}
* ]
] is a relatively common and often very serious problem. For people with nut allergy, exposure to surprisingly small amounts of nut fragments (e.g. minor cross-contamination of otherwise nut-free products in a food processing factory) can cause fatal ].
* ]

* ]
Allergy to ]s is the most common; some evidence suggests that some peanut allergies may be related to the use of peanuts in ]s; if given to very young children who are not yet able to digest all the components of peanuts fully, the body will then react against those components. As the peanut is a member of the ] unrelated to other nuts, individuals with allergies to peanuts may not be allergic to other nuts, and those with allergies to other nuts may not be allergic to peanuts. A common term applied to nuts, used to distinguish them from peanuts, is "tree nuts".
* ]

}}
==Nutritional benefits==
]
Several ] studies have revealed that people who consume nuts regularly are less likely to suffer from ]. Recent ]s have found that consumption of various nuts such as ]s and ]s can lower serum ] cholesterol concentrations. Although nuts contain various substances thought to possess cardioprotective effects, scientists believe that their ] profile is at least in part responsible for the hypolipidemic response observed in clinical trials.

In addition to possessing cardioprotective effects, nuts generally have a very low ] (GI). Consequently, dietitians frequently recommend nuts be included in diets prescribed for patients with ] problems such as ].

One study found that people who eat nuts live two to three years longer than those who do not. However, this may be because people who eat nuts tend to eat less ]. <ref>. ''URL accessed ], ].''</ref>

==Other uses==
The "nut" of the ] (''Aesculus hippocastanum''), is also known as a ''']'''. Conkers are inedible, due to the presence of the toxic ] ], but are collected and used in an old children's game, also known as '']s'', in which a nut is threaded onto a strong cord and then each child attempts to break their opponent's conker by hitting it with their own. A related species, '']'', was formerly eaten by the ] of ] in times of famine. It must be leached to remove the toxic constituents before eating.


==References== ==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
<references />
Kellogg, John H. "Nuts May Save the Race." The Itinerary of Breakfast. New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1920. 165–203.


== External links == == Further reading ==
* Albala, Ken (2014) ''Nuts A Global History''. The Edible Series. {{ISBN|978-1-78023-282-9}}
{{commonscat|Nuts}}
{{Cookbook|Nuts and Seeds}}
*
*
* Health Benefits of Nuts
* Nuts
* Nuts and their bioactive constituents: effects on serum lipids and other factors that affect disease risk


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{{Non-timber forest products}}
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Latest revision as of 18:10, 23 January 2025

This article is about nuts in botany. For foods called nuts, which may not be true botanical nuts, see Nut (food). For other kinds of nut, see Nut (disambiguation).Fruit with outer shell protecting kernel

A nut is a fruit consisting of a hard or tough nutshell protecting a kernel which is usually edible. In general usage and in a culinary sense, many dry seeds are called nuts, but in a botanical context, "nut" implies that the shell does not open to release the seed (indehiscent).

Most seeds come from fruits that naturally free themselves from the shell, but this is not the case in nuts such as hazelnuts, chestnuts, and acorns, which have hard shell walls and originate from a compound ovary.

Definition

black and white cross-section drawing of a shagbark hickory nut
Diagram of a shagbark hickory nut

A seed is the mature fertilised ovule of a plant; it consists of three parts, the embryo which will develop into a new plant, stored food for the embryo, and a protective seed coat. Botanically, a nut is a fruit with a woody pericarp developing from a syncarpous gynoecium. Nuts may be contained in an involucre, a cup-shaped structure formed from the flower bracts. The involucre may be scaly, spiny, leafy or tubular, depending on the species of nut. Most nuts come from the pistils with inferior ovaries (see flower) and all are indehiscent (not opening at maturity). True nuts are produced, for example, by some plant families of the order Fagales. These include beech (Fagus), chestnut (Castanea), oak (Quercus), stone-oak (Lithocarpus) and tanoak (Notholithocarpus) in the family Fagaceae, as well as hazel, filbert (Corylus) and hornbeam (Carpinus) in the family Betulaceae.

A small nut may be called a "nutlet" (formerly called a nucule, a term otherwise referring to the oogonium of stoneworts). In botany, the term "nutlet" can be used to describe a pyrena or pyrene, which is a seed covered by a stony layer, such as the kernel of a drupe. Walnuts and hickories (Juglandaceae) have fruits that are difficult to classify. They are considered to be nuts under some definitions but are also referred to as drupaceous nuts.

Evolutionary history

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (January 2025)

Toxicity

Nuts used for food are a common source of food allergens. Reactions can range from mild symptoms to severe ones, a condition known as anaphylaxis, which can be life-threatening. The reaction is due to the release of histamine by the body in response to an allergen in the nuts, causing skin and other possible reactions. Many experts suggest that a person with an allergy to peanuts should avoid eating tree nuts, and vice versa.

Consumption as food

Main article: Nut (food)
Chocolate cake with hazelnuts

Nuts contain the diverse nutrients that are needed for the growth of a new plant. Composition varies, but they tend to have a low water and carbohydrate content, with high levels of fats, protein, dietary minerals, and vitamins.

An Eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus) with a hazelnut in its mouth

Nuts are eaten by humans and wildlife. Because nuts generally have a high oil content, they are a significant energy source. Many seeds are edible by humans and used in cooking, eaten raw, sprouted, or roasted as a snack food, ground to make nut butters, or pressed for oil that is used in cooking and cosmetics.

Constituents

Nuts are the source of energy and nutrients for the new plant. They contain a relatively large quantity of calories, essential unsaturated and monounsaturated fats including linoleic acid and linolenic acid, vitamins, and essential amino acids.

See also

References

  1. "Nut: Plant reproductive body". Encyclopedia Britannica. 6 June 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  2. Alasalvar, Cesarettin; Shahidi, Fereidoon (17 December 2008). Tree Nuts: Composition, Phytochemicals, and Health Effects (Nutraceutical Science and Technology). CRC. p. 143. ISBN 978-0-8493-3735-2.
  3. ^ Armstrong, W.P. (15 March 2009). "Fruits Called Nuts". Palomar College. Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  4. E.g., Lindley, John (1846), The Vegetable Kingdom, London: Bradbury and Evans, p. 66; compare Elpel, Thomas J. (1997–2021). "Verbenaceae: Plants of the Verbena Family". Wildflowers-and-Weeds.com. Retrieved 28 April 2024. The term nucula was applied specifically to hazelnuts (Corylus) in Watson, P. W. (1825). Dendrologia Britannica. London: Author. pp. xlix.
  5. Lindley, John (1831). An Introduction to the Natural System of Botany. New York: G & C & H Carvill. p. 323.
  6. Eckel, P. M. (2010–2023). "A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin s.v. Drupe". Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  7. ^ "Nuts". Micronutrient Information Center, Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR. 1 September 2018. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  8. Harding, Mary. "Nut Allergy". Patient. Archived from the original on 30 January 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  9. "Common Food Allergens". Food Allergy Research & Education. Archived from the original on 13 June 2007. Retrieved 24 June 2007.

Further reading

Nuts
True, or botanical nuts
Drupes
Gymnosperms
Angiosperms
Types of fruits
Types of fruits
Categories of fruits
Function
Non-timber forest products
Animal products
Edible plants / roots
Mushrooms
Resins
Sap / gum / etc.
Other
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