Just nuts: Is the new craze for 'activating' your food the seeds of a great idea?

• Nutrients in seeds and nuts can be enhanced by 'activating' them
• 'Activating' involves soaking nuts and then drying them again
• Nuts can help protect against high cholesterol and coronary heart disease

You may have picked up a packet of almonds or sunflower seeds recently and wondered how on earth they could cost more than £5. The answer could be down to  the latest extreme food trend which sounds more than a little odd: activating nuts.

The benefits of eating a handful of nuts every day (without the salt, honey or roasting – sorry!) have been proven. Nutrient-dense, they are rich in protein (ten to 25 per cent) and up to 80 per cent of the  fat they contain is unsaturated. They are also a significant source of fibre, minerals (copper, magnesium and potassium) and vitamins such as folic acid, niacin, Vitamin E and Vitamin B6, and antioxidants.

+2

Exc-seed-ing expectations: Putting nuts and seeds through a process of soaking and drying - known as activating - before eating, the nutrients are enhanced

As such, nuts can help protect against high cholesterol, coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes, as well as managing weight.

But now some experts are saying that by putting nuts through a process of soaking and drying – known as activating – before eating, the nutrients are enhanced and easier for the body to absorb, although they taste exactly the same. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2541791/Just-nuts-Is-new-craze-activating-food-seeds-great-idea.html