Walnuts are wrinkly, bumpy, double-lobed nuts of the Juglandaceae family, the edible kernels
we know and love are technically fruits since they are formed within a fleshy green drupe
that encloses the hard nutshell.
Walnuts also happen to be among the world's healthiest foods.
Walnuts Are Incredibly Nutritious.
Walnuts are an excellent source of healthy fats, protein, fiber, and minerals.
Walnuts Are Rich In Antioxidants.
In addition to its vitamin C and E content, walnuts provide other important antioxidants,
according to a study published in Food Chemistry, walnut kernels are composed of at least seven
phenolic compounds that display strong antioxidant activity.
Of these, four were found to display higher free radical scavenging activity than Trolox,
positive control with a similar biochemical structure to vitamin E.
The antioxidant content of walnuts has proved to be readily bioavailable as well, just one
hour after consuming walnuts, healthy volunteers had significantly higher concentrations of
ellagitannins in their blood and urine per a 2014 study.
Walnuts Are A Good Source Of Omega-3 Fatty Acids.
Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats that provide a myriad of health benefits,
these dietary fats have been associated with the prevention of cardiovascular disease,
preserving cognitive function, and boosting fetal development.
While most research on omega-3 fats has focused on EPA and DHA, some studies have investigated
the health effects of consuming foods high in ALA, in a 5-year study involving 605 patients,
a high ALA diet reduced the incidence of death from cardiovascular disease and myocardial
infarction compared to a standard diet.
In the case of eating walnuts specifically, a small 2006 study found that eating just
four walnuts per day for three weeks boosted ALA content in blood and significantly increased
EPA and DHA levels as compared to baseline levels.
Walnuts Promote A Healthy Gut.
The microbiome of the human gut contains tens of trillions of microorganisms, with at least
1,000 distinct species of bacteria and more than 3 million genes.
Gut flora is found in the stomach and intestines and its content is influenced by your age
and geographical location.
Each individual's gut bacteria is as unique as a fingerprint.
An imbalance of gut flora plays a role in many disparate diseases from ulcers to cancer
to psychiatric disorders so keeping your digestive system happy is well advised.
The easiest way to alter the composition of your gut bacteria is through your diet, by
eating more probiotics and prebiotics.
Walnuts For Appetite & Weight Control.
Like all nuts, walnuts are dense in calories.
and yet, in numerous studies investigating the health benefits of walnuts, participants
who added them to their existing diet did not gain weight even while the number of calories
consumed increased.
In a study investigating the effects of a walnut rich diet on the metabolic parameters
of type 2 diabetes patients, subjects who ate 30 grams of walnuts per day for one year,
experienced 2 to 4 pounds of weight loss (despite being on weight maintenance diets) and improved
insulin, cholesterol, and fasting glucose levels.
Walnuts are high in fiber, a carbohydrate that passes through the body undigested.
High fiber foods tend to produce feelings of satiety.
Walnuts also have a good polyunsaturated to saturated fats ratio, which can kick off diet-induced
thermogenesis, a natural process that helps boost the metabolism, speeds up fat burning,
and suppresses appetite.
Walnuts Boost Brainpower.
Although all types of nuts are great brain food, walnuts appear to have an edge over
the rest.
The link between walnuts and better brain function was gleaned from data produced in
NHANES, a large-scale survey of over 20,000 American adults.
Published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, those who consumed 10 grams or
more of walnuts each day had significantly faster response time, information processing
speed, and higher scores for memory, concentration, and motor control than those who never ate
nuts.
Because walnuts are enriched with antioxidants, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and anti-inflammatory
phytochemicals,
eating them on the regular also has a neuroprotective effect by slowing brain aging and lowering
the risk of chronic neurodegenerative disorders later in life.