The lowly walnut provides more than a nutritious munch—it also packs a nutritional punch and has more health benefits than you might imagine. Walnuts are packed with omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, and have been credited with the ability to reduce depression and the effects of stress, as well as the risks of breast cancer, ADHD, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and heart disease. In fact, a study undertaken at University of Scranton in Pennsylvania shows that they have more antioxidants than any other type of nut. Another study found that walnuts are particularly rich in Alpha-linolenic acid (which protects the heart), while a third study indicated that just one walnut a day was enough to reduce low-density lipoprotein—better known as the bad LDL cholesterol—and concentrations of unhealthy triglyceride found in vegetable oil and animal fat.
Walnuts are also said to assist weight loss, and according to a study published in a British Journal of Nutrition study, even improve working memory. A supernut indeed!