What Are the Health Benefits of Fox Nuts (Lotus Seed, Makhana)?

A fox nut is a healthy, nutrient-dense food and a good source of protein for vegan or vegetarian diets. Most fox nuts are roasted or dried and are perfect as a snack or in salads and curries. Traditional cultures often cook fox nuts into desserts and puddings.  

Fox nuts are the seeds of the Eurayle ferox plant, which belongs to the Nymphaeaceae or water lily family. It’s also known as makhana, prickly water lily, or gorgon plant. The seeds are sometimes called gorgon nuts, black diamonds, or lotus seeds, though lotus seeds come from water lotus rather than a water lily.

The plant grows naturally in medium to large ponds or water gardens but is also an important cash crop in India. It produces enormous leaves about 4 to 5 feet long and can quickly grow to a 15-foot lily pad. These leaves are dark olive green with purple veins and float on top of the water. 

The prickly water lily grows deep violet flowers with an inner row of white petals and soft pulpy fruit that looks like an orange. The fox nuts are edible starchy seeds with a black outer coating found inside these fruits. 

Fox nuts are a popular food in Indian and Asian cuisine and an old remedy in local traditional medicine. People commonly took fox nuts for digestive disease, kidney problems, lung issues, and reproductive health. Today, they’re still a staple food in many cultures.

Raw fox nuts have a hard outer shell with a starchy kernel that is removed by popping. The popping process heats the water inside the seeds and creates steam, turning them into puffed nuts, much like popcorn. However, puffed fox nuts are often soggy and bland, so some processors roast and season them to enhance the overall taste and texture.  

You can eat roasted fox nuts as a snack or add them to pudding or sweet desserts. The dried seeds are also cooked into a porridge called kheer or ground into flour. 

Studies suggest the roasting process enhances the nutrient profile, raising protein, fat, fiber, and mineral levels. This happens because the heat causes a loss of water, which condenses the nutrients. 

Fox nuts are a nutritious food and a great vegetarian source of protein. It’s best to limit salted fox nuts to 1 ounce to avoid too much sodium, though. 

Excellent source of nutrients

Like many other nuts, fox nuts are rich in nutrients, including healthy fats, dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. While vitamins and minerals don’t give you energy, they are necessary for proper body function. 

A 28-gram serving or ¾ cups of fox nuts contains:

• Potassium: 388 milligrams, about 8 percent of your daily value
• Phosphorus: 177 milligrams, about 14 percent of your daily value
• Magnesium: 59.5 milligrams, 14 percent of your daily value
• Calcium: 46 milligrams, 4 percent of your daily value
• Carbohydrates: 18 grams
• Fats: 0.5 grams
• Calories: 94 kilocalories

Nuts typically are high-fat and high-calorie foods, even if the fats are healthy and unsaturated. For example, one ounce or 28 grams of almonds contains 15 grams of fat and 168 calories. 

In comparison, the same serving of fox nuts has only half a gram of fat and 94 calories, making it a better choice. You can snack on these throughout the day or add them to a weight-loss meal plan without worrying about getting too many calories. 

Good source of protein

The amount of protein you need depends on your age, gender, and overall calorie needs. For healthy adults, the daily recommended amount of protein is 10 percent to 35 percent of your total calorie requirements. So if you eat 2000 calories and plan for 20 percent protein, you could eat 100 grams daily.

Many people get protein from different foods, and fox nuts can be one option. A 1-ounce serving of fox nuts contains 4 grams of protein, mostly essential amino acids. These are the kind your body can’t make and must get from food, making it a good option for vegan or vegetarian diets. 

Low glycemic index food

The glycemic index, or GI, is a way to measure how much carbohydrates in food will impact your blood sugar compared to pure sugar or glucose. For example, a food with a GI of 20 only boosts blood sugar 20 percent as much as pure glucose. 

A GI under 55 is considered low and has a slower and smaller impact on your blood sugar. This happens because it takes longer to digest and absorb these foods, which keeps your blood sugar stable rather than causing a sharp rise and fall.

In general, fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, and nuts have a low GI, while processed foods, refined grains, or sweet treats have a higher GI and cause a sharp rise in blood sugar. 

Eating foods with a lower GI can help protect against chronic diseases, manage diabetes, and lower your risk for heart disease. 

Because they take longer to digest, you stay full for longer, which can help with weight loss. Studies suggest low GI foods might be better for weight loss than a low-calorie diet.

At 37 percent, fox nuts are a low glycemic index food and a great choice for blood sugar management. They are higher on the scale than other nuts but are still well within the low GI category. 

Might improve blood fat levels

Fox nut extracts might also help lower blood sugar and blood fat levels. In an animal study, researchers tested an extract from fox nut seeds on mice with diabetes. They gave some mice varying doses of the extract by mouth over 15 days and other mice diabetes medication. 

The study found that the mice treated with fox nut extract had significantly lowered blood glucose and improved enzyme levels. The blood fat levels also returned to normal, suggesting the extract could help prevent diabetes complications. More studies are necessary, though.

People have been eating fox nuts and using them as traditional medicine for a long time. Modern research shows us these nuts are a good source of protein and a healthy low glycemic index food to add to your diet.