Description
Description
Eating walnuts has many benefits for human health, reducing heart diseases, preventing cancer and improving brain function are some of the benefits of walnuts. Walnuts are really great for the skin and body, which is why many skin care brands and beauty products include walnut extract; Because they are rich in nutrients that are useful for our health and beauty. Walnuts are also great for hair care and many shampoos contain walnut extracts and walnut oil; Because they keep hair healthy and make them shiny
What is a walnut?
Walnuts are seeds obtained from the shell of the fruit that grows on the walnut tree. English walnuts are the most common type sold in stores. Iranian walnut, also known as Iranian walnut, originally from Iran and later spread throughout Asia and Europe.
Walnuts have been a popular snack for thousands of years. The Romans thought that this nut could counteract poison and cure skin diseases.
The American Heart Association, which has designated walnuts as a “heart-healthy” food, says that replacing saturated fat with walnut oil can lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels when included in a healthy diet.
Properties of walnuts
1. Rich in antioxidants
Walnuts have more antioxidants than any other common nut.
This comes from vitamin E, melatonin, and plant compounds known as reliable sources of polyphenols, which are found in particularly large amounts in the papery skin of walnuts.
A 2022 study in healthy adults over age 60 found that eating a meal rich in walnuts lowered participants’ bad cholesterol (LDL) levels.
If LDL cholesterol builds up in your arteries, it can cause atherosclerosis.
2. Excellent plant source of Omega 3
Walnuts provide significantly more omega-3s than any other nutrient, with 2.5 grams of omega-3s per one-ounce serving.
Omega-3 fats from plant sources, including walnuts, are called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). It is an essential fat, meaning you must get it through your diet.
3. Reduce inflammation
Inflammation, which can be caused by oxidative stress, is the root of many diseases, including:
heart disease
Type 2 diabetes
Alzheimer’s disease
cancer
The polyphenols in walnuts can help fight oxidative stress and inflammation. Beneficial bacteria in your gut convert ellagitannins into compounds called urolithins, which protect against inflammation.
ALA, omega-3 fats, magnesium, and the amino acid arginine—all found in walnuts—may reduce inflammation.
4. Strengthening a healthy intestine
Studies show that if your gut is full of health-promoting bacteria and other microbes (your gut microbes), you’re more likely to have a healthy gut and good overall health. An unhealthy composition of gut microbiota can contribute to inflammation and disease in the gut and elsewhere in the body, increasing the risk of obesity, heart disease, and cancer.
What you eat can significantly affect the makeup of your microbiota. Eating walnuts may be one way to support the health of your microbiota and gut.
In a 2018 study, 194 healthy adults ate 1.5 ounces (43 grams) of walnuts every day for 8 weeks. At the end, they showed an increase in beneficial bacteria compared to the period of not eating walnuts.
This includes increasing bacteria that produce butyrate, a fat that nourishes your gut and promotes gut health.
5. Reducing the risk of some cancers
Studies show that eating walnuts may reduce the risk of certain cancers, including breast, prostate, and colon cancer.
As mentioned earlier, walnuts are rich in polyphenols called ellagitannins. Some gut microbes can convert these substances into compounds called urolithins.
Urolithins can have anti-inflammatory properties in your gut, which may be one way eating walnuts helps protect against cancer.
Additionally, urolithins have hormone-like properties that enable them to block hormone receptors in your body. This may help reduce the risk of hormone-related cancers, especially breast and prostate cancer.
6. Control your weight
Walnuts are high in calories, but a 2016 study found that your body absorbs 21 percent less energy from them than expected based on their nutritional content. Additionally, eating walnuts may help regulate your appetite.
A well-controlled study of 10 obese people found that drinking a smoothie made with about 1.75 ounces (48 grams) of walnuts once a day for 5 days reduced participants’ appetite and hunger. It was equal in calories and nutrients compared to the placebo drink.
In addition, after 5 days of consuming walnut smoothies, brain scans showed that participants had activated an area of the brain that helped them resist highly tempting food cues such as cake and French fries.
7. Reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes
Observational studies suggest that one of the reasons walnuts are associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes is that they help with weight management.
Being overweight increases the risk of developing blood sugar and diabetes. Eating walnuts may help regulate blood sugar by mechanisms beyond its effect on weight control.
In a 2016 study, 100 people with type 2 diabetes took 1 tablespoon of cold-pressed walnut oil daily for 3 months while continuing to take their usual diabetes medications and a balanced diet. This led to an 8% decrease in fasting blood sugar.
In addition, walnut oil users had about an 8% reduction in hemoglobin A1C (3-month average blood sugar). The control group showed no improvement in A1C or fasting blood sugar. None of the groups had a change in their weight. Some other reputable research also shows that dietary supplementation with walnuts can lead to modest improvements in blood glucose levels. However, it’s important to remember that consuming walnut oil is not the same as eating whole walnuts.
8. Lower blood pressure
High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. A 2019 study suggests that eating walnuts may help lower blood pressure, including in people with high blood pressure.
Additionally, the authors of a 2019 research review examined the effects of a Mediterranean diet that often includes walnuts and other nuts. They concluded that following a Mediterranean diet may help lower blood pressure in some people.
This suggests that nuts may slightly improve the blood pressure benefits of a heart-healthy diet. Even small differences in blood pressure are thought to have a large impact on heart disease risk.
9. Healthy aging with walnut consumption
As you age, good physical function is essential to maintaining your mobility and independence. One thing that may help you maintain your physical abilities is healthy eating habits.
In a Trusted Source observational study of more than 50,000 women over 18 years, scientists found that those with the healthiest diets had a 13 percent lower risk of physical injury. Walnuts were among the foods that contributed the most to a healthy diet. Although relatively high in calories, walnuts are rich in essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, fats, and plant compounds that may help the body function well as we age.
10. Brain health
It may just be a coincidence that the shell of a walnut looks like a small brain, but research shows that these nuts may actually be good for your mind.
Studies show that the nutrients and antioxidants in walnuts may help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation by reducing free radicals.
A 2016 study in mice suggests that walnut extract may improve symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Additionally, a 2019 study in humans found that depression symptoms improved in people with depression if nuts, including walnuts, were part of their diet. Studies have linked eating walnuts to better brain function, including improved memory, learning skills, motor development and anxiety-related behaviors.
It has been shown that the plant compounds in walnuts reduce inflammation in the brain and improve thinking and memory.
Other studies have looked at how walnuts can protect the brain from oxidative stress (an unequal amount of harmful free radicals and beneficial antioxidants in the body) that can lead to Alzheimer’s and other brain disorders.
11. Reproductive and sexual health
Conventional diets – high in processed foods, sugar and refined grains – have been linked to reduced sperm function.
Eating walnuts may help support sperm health and male fertility.
In a 2012 study of 117 healthy young men, participants who ate 2.5 ounces (75 grams) of walnuts daily as part of a Western-style diet for 3 months compared to those who did not eat nuts (Fig. Sperm had better vitality and mobility.
Research shows that eating walnuts may help protect sperm by reducing oxidative damage to sperm membranes.
12. Improving blood fat levels
Elevated levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides have long been associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Eating walnuts regularly has been proven to lower cholesterol levels.
In a 2017 study in healthy adults, eating 1.5 ounces (43 grams) of walnuts daily for 8 weeks reduced total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides by 5 percent compared to no walnuts.
People who ate walnuts also had about a 6 percent reduction in apolipoprotein B, which measures the number of LDL particles in your blood. High apolipoprotein B is a major risk factor for heart disease.
13. It is readily available and easily added to the diet
You can find walnuts in any grocery store. It’s helpful to understand how the serving sizes used in the studies are converted so you know how your serving sizes compare.
The following trusted servings are essentially equivalent and have about 190 calories each:
1 ounce of shelled walnuts = 28 grams = 1/4 cup = 12 to 14 halves = 1 small handful
Although it is easy to eat walnuts individually as a snack, there are many delicious ways to use them in dishes.
Side effects of walnuts
Walnuts may seem like a superfood with lots of valuable vitamins and nutrients, but you should avoid them in certain situations:
If you are allergic to nuts:
If you are allergic to tree nuts, walnuts are not for you. Symptoms of an allergic reaction can range from an itchy mouth (oral allergy syndrome) to severe and life-threatening conditions such as anaphylactic shock.
If you’re on a low-calorie diet:
Walnuts can be up to 65 percent fat (although most of it is the good kind) and are high in calories. A handful may contain about 10 percent of your calorie needs for the day.
Drug interactions:
Walnuts can interact with some thyroid medications. Check with your doctor to make sure walnuts and walnut oil are appropriate to add to your diet.
How to add walnuts to your food basket?
You can eat walnuts on their own as a snack or as a crunchy addition to yogurt, stir-fry, a vegetable dish, or ice cream. To better use the benefits of walnuts, it is better to choose unsalted raw or roasted walnuts instead of the ones cooked in oil.
Here are some ways to use walnuts in recipes:
Sprinkle over the salad
Add to pasta or use them to make pesto sauce
Make oatmeal with oats, seeds, dried fruit and chopped walnuts
Add walnuts to cookies and bread recipes
Make homemade granola bars
Mix walnuts with dried fruits, chocolate chips and other types of nuts.
final word
Walnuts are an extremely nutritious nut. One of the properties of walnuts is that they have more antioxidant activity and significantly more healthy omega-3 fatty acids than other common nuts.
These nutrient-rich properties contribute to many of the health benefits associated with walnuts, such as reducing inflammation and improving heart disease risk factors.
Scientists are still discovering the many ways in which fiber and plant compounds in walnuts, including polyphenols, may interact with your gut microbiota to benefit your health.
You’re likely to hear more about walnuts in the coming years as more researchers study their potential health benefits.
However, there are many reasons to try a walnut-rich diet.
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