Health benefits of walnuts

What is walnuts?

Walnuts are a wrinkly globe-shaped nut that are the fruits of the tree walnut. They are a hard shell, which when open, shows the walnut. The walnut is then cut into two parts this is the reason they are usually seen as flat pieces. Walnuts are generally consumed raw or baked.

Explore our complete variety of health benefits guides and learn more about the benefits of nuts for health. You can also check out our delicious recipes for walnuts that range from Bramley and walnut Chutney and our delicious walnut tart.

Walnuts in Other language:

• walnuts in telugu – అక్రోట్లను
• walnuts meaning in hindi – अखरोट
• walnuts in tamil – அக்ரூட் பருப்புகள்
• walnuts meaning in telugu – అక్రోట్లను
• walnuts in kannada – ವಾಲ್್ನಟ್ಸ್
• walnuts in marathi – अक्रोड

Nutritive value of walnuts

A 30g portion (about 14 half-hours) includes about:

• 851Kj / 206 kcal
• 4.4g Protein
• 20.6g Fat
• 14.0g Poly-unsaturated fat
• 1.4g Fibre
• 135mg Potassium
• 48mg Magnesium
• 28mg Calcium
• 114mg Phosphorus
• 20mcg of Folate

As with all other nuts, walnuts are high in fat , but they are mostly in the form of polyunsaturated fats. As such, they’re a good vegan source for the important fat acid omega-3.

What are the five main advantages of nuts for health?

Brain health benefits

Walnuts are a rich source of phytochemicals and also a large amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids that provide potential benefits to brain health and functioning. Omega-3 fats play an important role in helping to reduce the oxidative stress that occurs in the brain. They also assist through aiding in improving neurogenesis and signalling in the brain. which is the process by which neurons are made.

In addition to the high content in beneficial fats additional essential nutrients like folate, vitamin E, and the phytochemical that protects, the ellagic acid is all present in walnuts. They aid in its neuroprotective and memory enhancement qualities.

Mood-boosting

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential in the development and function in the nervous system central. Research and clinical studies suggests that omega-3 fatty acids may contribute to certain mood conditions.

While an investigation specifically investigating the effects of walnuts on mood was mixed however, including walnuts in the diet of healthy males, who were healthy and young, did seem to improve mood.

Heart health

The journal of nutrition states that the eating walnuts can lower the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Additionally, walnut oil has more favorable effects on endothelial function that is the layer on the lymphatic vessels and blood vessels. There is also studies on whole walnuts and their ability to increase the levels of cholesterol and other markers of inflammation and inflammation, which are also linked to a decreased risk of developing heart disease.

A study conducted by The British Journal of Nutrition discovered that people who ate nuts for at least four times per week decreased their risk of suffering from coronary heart diseases by as high as 37 percent.

May aid in weight loss

There is evidence that suggests that eating walnuts instead of other food items doesn’t cause weight increase even though they’re a high-energy food and a fantastic snack option for people looking to control their weight.

Support a healthy digestive system

A recent study on animals found that walnuts’ consumption could improve the microbiota in the gut which is the group of beneficial microbes within our intestines. They in particular , increase the levels of probiotic strains that are beneficial to. The same has been observed on the human body as well, with the reports of increased levels in beneficial strains and , in particular, those that produce butyrate, a byproduct that supports the health of the gut.

Rich in Antioxidants

Walnuts are more antioxidant-rich over any other nuts.

This action is attributed to vitamin E Melatonin and polyphenols, plant-based compounds, that are especially abundant in the skin that is papery that walnuts have.

A small, preliminary study on healthy adults demonstrated that eating a meal rich in walnuts stopped the oxidative destruction of “bad” LDL cholesterol after eating, while a refined fat meal did not .

This is beneficial since an oxidized LDL is more likely to accumulate in your blood vessels, leading to atherosclerosis.

Might Reduce Inflammation

Inflammation is the source of a variety of diseases, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Alzheimer’s disease , and cancer and it can be caused by the oxidative stress.

The polyphenols present in walnuts could aid in reducing inflammation and oxidative stress. A subset of polyphenols called the ellagitannins could be particularly involved.

Gut-friendly bacteria convert ellagitannins into compounds known as the urolithins. They have been proven to guard against the effects of inflammation .

ALA omega-3 fats, magnesium and amino acid arginine found in walnuts can also reduce inflammation

Helps to Promote an energised Gut

Research suggests that if you gut is full of healthy microbes along with the other microbes (your gut microbiota) You’re much more likely to be able to maintain a healthier gut and overall good health.

An insufficient structure of the microbiota in your body may result in inflammation and disease within your digestive tract and throughout your body. It can also increase the chance of being overweight, developing cancer, and heart disease.

Food choices can greatly impact the composition that your microbiota has. Consuming walnuts is a method to improve healthy microbiota, as well as your digestive system.

When healthy adults of 194 ate 1.5 1 oz (43 grams) of walnuts each day for 8 weeks, they saw an increase in beneficial bacteria in comparison to non-eating walnuts.

This led to an increase in the number of bacteria which produce butyrate, an oil that is good for your gut and boosts health

Could Reduce the Chance of Developing Certain Cancers

Test-tube observations, animal and human studies suggest that consuming walnuts can reduce the chances of getting certain types of cancer which include colorectal, prostate and breast cancers.

As we’ve mentioned before the walnuts are rich in polyphenol ellagitannins. Certain microbes in the gut can transform these into compounds known as Urolithins .

Urolithins have anti-inflammatory effects in your gut. This could be one reason why walnuts can help protect you from colorectal cancer. Urolithins have anti-inflammatory properties that can also protect you from other types of cancer.

In addition, urolithins possess hormone-like properties which allow them to inhibit hormone receptors in your body. This could help lower the risk of cancers caused by hormones particularly prostate and breast cancer.

Further human studies are required to verify the benefits of walnuts’ consumption in reducing the chance of getting these and other types of cancer and also to identify the various ways or mechanisms through which they could aid in reducing the risk of cancer.

Could Help You manage the Type 2 Diabetes, and lower your risk

Studies have suggested that one of the reasons walnuts are associated with lower risk of developing the type 2 form of diabetes may be because they aid in regulating weight. The excess weight you carry increases the chance of having high blood sugar levels and diabetes.

However, eating walnuts could assist in controlling blood sugar via mechanisms that go beyond weight control.

In a study that was controlled of 100 patients with Type 2 Diabetes, eating 1 tablespoon of walnut oil cold-pressed every day for 3 months in addition to their regular diabetic medication and a well-balanced diet, resulted in an increase of 8% in blood sugar levels at rest.

Furthermore the walnut oil users were able to show a 8percent decrease of hemoglobin A1C (3-month average blood sugar). The group that was a control showed no change with respect to A1C and fasting blood sugar. The control group did not show any increase with their weight.

Might Help lower blood pressure

The high blood pressure is one of the major risk factors for stroke and heart disease.

A few studies have suggested that eating walnuts could reduce blood pressure, particularly those with high blood pressure as well as in healthy people under stress. Some studies didn’t show this result.

In addition to different diets 4-year PREDIMED study of around 7,500 people with a high risk of developing heart disease, tested the Mediterranean lifestyle that included 1 one-ounce (28 grams) of mixed nuts each day and half of them were walnuts.

After the study, participants who were eating the nuts-rich Mediterranean diet showed an 0.65 mmHg more drop in diastolic blood-pressure (bottom number) over those on similar diets for heart health that didn’t eat almonds.

This suggests that nuts could slighty improve advantages of having a healthy diet. This is crucial, since tiny variations in blood pressure can be thought to have a significant impact on the risk of dying from heart disease.

Promotes Healthful Aging

As you get older, proper physical health is vital to keeping your independence and mobility.

One thing you can do to improve your physical fitness is good eating habits..

In a study that was conducted over 18 years, involving more than 50,000 women who are older researchers found that women who had the best food habits were 13 percent lower chance of suffering from physical impairment. Walnuts were among the food items that contributed the most to a healthy lifestyle.

Although high in calories, walnuts are loaded with vital minerals, vitamins, fiber, fats, and plant compounds that could help maintain a healthy physical function as you get older.

Promotes Good Brain Function

It could be an unintentional coincidence that the outer walnut’s shell appears like a tiny brain however studies suggest that this nut might be beneficial for your brain.

Test-tube and animal studies have revealed that walnuts’ nutrients include polyunsaturated fat polyphenols, vitamin E and polyphenols can help to reduce inflammation and oxidative damage to the cerebrum.

In a study lasting 10 months of Alzheimer’s disease, mice that ate 6-9 percent of their calories from walnuts (equal to 1-1.5 ounces or 28-45 grams per day in the case of people) showed significant improvement in memory, learning and anxiety, when compared to a control group that ate no walnuts.

Studies on older adults’ observance have found that eating walnuts can lead to improved brain function which includes higher processing speeds, greater mental flexibility , and better memories.

Although these findings are positive but more research on whether walnuts have an effect on the brain’s functioning in humans are required for conclusive conclusions.

Helps to Improve Male Reproductive Health

The typical Western diets, which are rich in processed foods, refined sugars and grains have been linked to decreased fertility of sperm.

Consuming walnuts can help improve fertility of male sperm and fertility.

When 117 young healthy men consumed 2.5 grams (75 grams) of walnuts a day in their Western-style food plan over a period of three months experienced enhanced sperm quality as well as vitality and mobility when compared with men who did not consume walnuts.

Animal studies suggest that walnuts’ consumption may help protect sperm through diminution oxidative damage within its membranes.

Further research is required to verify these benefits however, if you’re worried about his fertility, eating walnuts is an easy idea to test.

Enhances blood Fats

Higher concentrations of “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides have been for years linked to an increase in heart risk.

Consuming walnuts regularly has been consistently proven to reduce the levels of cholesterol.

For instance in a study that was conducted of 194 healthy adults taking 1.5 pounds (43 grams) of walnuts every day for eight weeks led to an increase of 5% of total cholesterol. a 5% decrease in LDL cholesterol, and a 5percent decrease in triglycerides compared to those who did not consume nuts .

The walnut-eating population also experienced an average of 6% reduction in apolipoprotein-Blevels, which are an indicator of the amount of LDL particles are present in your blood. When it’s elevated, apolipoprotein is one of the major risk factors for heart disease.

Do walnuts pose a risk to all?

Individuals who are allergic to tree nuts must avoid walnuts. The symptoms of allergy usually manifest within a matter of minutes and you should consult your GP in the event of an allergic reaction. However, if it turns into a severe reaction known as anaphylaxis is considered to be a medical emergency, and urgent help must be sought.

Children, older adults and people who have difficulty swallowing should stay away from whole nuts because of the danger of getting choked.