Health Benefits of Walnuts
It's an understatement to suggest that walnuts are healthy food. Walnuts can help people on staying healthy overall as they have a high content of healthy fats, minerals, vitamins, and fibre.
Indeed, there is so much interest in this one nut that academics and industry leaders have gathered yearly at the University of California, Davis. For the past 50 years, they have spent a lot of time analysing the new research on walnut health. The English walnut is the most prevalent and well-studied walnut cultivar. You can also read our previous article on the 8 best dry fruits for good health.
Walnuts have eight scientifically proven health benefits
- Anti-oxidant rich foods
Vitamin E, melatonin, and plant substances called polyphenols, which are particularly abundant in the papery skin of walnuts, are responsible for the anti-oxidant effect.
There was a small study that was done on healthy adults which found that taking a refined-fat meal had no effect on bad cholesterol whereas taking a walnut-rich diet actually decreased the oxidative damage by this bad cholesterol. This is advantageous since oxidised LDL is prone to forming plaque in your arteries, resulting in atherosclerosis.
- Omega-3 Super Plant Source
Walnuts have the highest omega3 fatty acids content of any nut, with 2.5 grammes per 1-ounce (28-gram) serving. According to observational studies, each gramme of ALA consumed each day reduces your risk of dying from heart disease by 10%.
- Inflammation may be reduced
There are many diseases that occur due to inflammation such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease, and are promoted by oxidative stress. Gut bacteria convert ellagitannins to urolithins, which have been shown to protect against inflammation.
- Helps with weight loss
Walnuts are high in calories, however, studies show that the energy they provide is 21% lower than what would be predicted based on their components.
Drinking a smoothie made with around 1.75 ounces (48 grammes) of walnuts once a day for five days reduced appetite and hunger in ten obese persons, compared to a placebo drink with the same calories and nutrients.
Even though larger and longer-term research is needed, this study provides some preliminary insight into how walnuts may aid in hunger and weight management. One can also take weight loss max to reduce weight.
- May Assist with Type 2 Diabetes Management and Risk Reduction
Walnuts are associated with a lower incidence of type 2 diabetes, according to observational studies, since they help control weight. Excess weight raises your chances of diabetes and high blood sugar. However, walnut consumption may help manage blood sugar through methods other than weight loss.
- Could Aid with Blood Pressure Control
Stroke and any heart problem are both connected with high blood pressure. Walnuts may help lower blood pressure in patients with high blood pressure and healthy people who are stressed, according to research.
A Mediterranean diet supplemented with 1 ounce (28 grammes) of mixed nuts daily, half of which were walnuts, was examined in the four-year PREDIMED research in nearly 7,500 adults at high risk of heart disease.
- Encourages Healthy Aging
Maintaining mobility and freedom as you age requires adequate physical functioning. Healthy eating habits are one thing that can help you preserve your physical ability. Scientists discovered that those with the cleanest diets had a 13 per cent decreased incidence of physical impairment in an 18-year observational study of more than 50,000 older women.
Walnuts, despite their high-calorie content, are high in critical vitamins, minerals, fibre, lipids, and plant chemicals that may maintain healthy physical function as you age. Eating anti-ageing food help reduce the sign of early ageing. You can also use the anti-ageing serum for reducing age spots.
- Male Reproductive Health Benefits
Diets heavy in processed foods, sugar, and refined carbohydrates have been associated with sperm function problems.
When 117 healthy young men ate 2.5 ounces (75 grammes) of walnuts daily for three months, their sperm shape, vitality, and movement improved, compared to those who did not eat nuts. Walnuts may protect sperm by preventing oxidative damage in their membranes.
Some Cancers May Be Reduced
Walnuts may lower the risk of some cancers, including breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers, according to test-tube, animal, and human observational studies. These may be converted to urolithins by certain intestinal bacteria.
Urolithins may have anti-inflammatory properties in the gut, which might explain why walnuts may help prevent colorectal cancer. The anti-inflammatory property of urolithins may potentially protect against other malignancies.
This might reduce the chances of having malignancies which are hormone-related, like prostate and breast cancers.
Walnuts are a nut that is very healthy. This diverse nutritional composition adds to walnuts' many health advantages, including lower inflammation and better heart disease risk factors. Scientists are still figuring out how walnut fibre and plant components, like polyphenols, interact with your gut bacteria and contribute to your overall health. In the next years, you'll probably hear a lot more about walnuts as additional studies look at their health benefits. Even so, there are several reasons to incorporate them into your diet right now.