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The health benefits of walnuts go far beyond their status as a rich source of fibre, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals. The English walnut is the most common type of walnut and has been the subject of the most research.
How do walnuts improve your health?
1. Rich in a variety of antioxidants
Compared to other common nuts, walnuts have the highest antioxidant capacity. This is due to vitamin E, melatonin and plant compounds called polyphenols. The papery skin of a walnut contains a high concentration of polyphenols.In a preliminary study involving only a small number of healthy adults, researchers found that eating a meal high in walnuts significantly reduced the amount of oxidative damage caused to "bad" LDL cholesterol after eating. This was in contrast to the results of eating a meal high in refined fat, which had no such effect.
This is excellent news because oxidised LDL tends to build up in your arteries, which can lead to the formation of atherosclerosis. Walnuts are excellent for protecting against atherosclerosis as well as other forms of oxidative damage, such as that caused by 'bad' LDL cholesterol.
2. Omega-3 rich plant food
At 2.5 grams of omega-3s per ounce (or 28 grams) of serving size, walnuts have far more omega-3s than any other nut.Among plant foods, walnuts are a good source of alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid (ALA). Because of its status as an essential fat, an adequate intake is essential.The Institute of Medicine recommends a daily intake of 1.6 grams of ALA for men and 1.1 grams for women. A single serving of walnuts meets these recommendations.
Observational studies have shown that the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease is halved for every gram of ALA consumed daily. The omega-3 fatty acids in walnuts may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
3. Has the ability to reduce inflammation
One way in which oxidative stress may contribute to the aetiology of diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's and cardiovascular disease is through its ability to induce inflammation.As well as helping to reduce inflammation, the polyphenols found in walnuts have been shown to be effective in combating oxidative stress. One type of polyphenol, called ellagitannins, may play a key role. Chemicals called urolithins are produced from ellagitannins by beneficial bacteria in the gut. Researchers have found that urolithins may protect the body from inflammatory responses.
The omega-3 lipid ALA, the mineral magnesium and the amino acid arginine found in walnuts may all contribute to their anti-inflammatory effects. In addition to essential nutrients, walnuts contain a number of phytonutrients that may help reduce inflammation.
4. Supports a healthy digestive system
Numerous studies show that a healthy gut microbiota (made up of beneficial bacteria and other microbes) is associated with good health. A microbiome that's out of balance can make you more likely to develop cancer, heart disease or be overweight.What you eat can have a big impact on the composition of the bacteria in your gut. Eating walnuts could be one way to help keep your microbiota and digestive tract healthy.
When you eat walnuts, you are not only feeding yourself, you are also feeding the good bacteria that are already in your digestive tract. This is good for your gut health and may make you less likely to get sick.
5. Eating walnuts may reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer
Walnuts may reduce the risk of breast, prostate and colon cancer, according to test-tube, animal and observational studies. As mentioned above, ellagitannins, a type of polyphenol, are abundant in walnuts. Some microorganisms in the gut are able to convert these substances into something called urolithins.The anti-inflammatory properties of urolithins in the digestive tract suggest that eating walnuts may reduce the risk of developing bowel cancer. Urolithins may be able to stop other cancers from growing because they stop inflammation.
Urolithins can also stop hormones from doing their job by binding to hormone receptors and blocking them. This may reduce your chances of getting cancers caused by hormones, such as breast and prostate cancer.
More human research is needed to confirm that eating walnuts reduces the risk of these and other cancers, and to find out all the ways or mechanisms by which they may help. Walnuts contain polyphenols, which have been linked to a lower risk of breast, prostate and bowel cancer. However, this theory needs to be confirmed by further research in humans.
6. Helps in maintaining a healthy body weight
Walnuts have a lot of calories, but research shows that the amount of energy you get from them is 21% less than you might think based on the nutrients they contain.Research also suggests that eating walnuts can help control how hungry you feel. Walnuts have a lot of calories, but it's possible that you won't consume nearly all of them. You may also find that they help you control your hunger and make you feel less hungry.
7. May aid in managing type 2 diabetes and reduce its risk
Observational research shows that walnuts may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by keeping weight under control. If you are overweight, you are more likely to develop diabetes and high blood sugar. But eating walnuts may help lower blood glucose levels in a different way from helping you control your weight.Participants' fasting blood glucose levels dropped by 8% after eating 1 tablespoon of flavoured walnut oil every day for 3 months, in addition to their regular diabetes medication and healthy diet. The study was conducted on 100 people with type 2 diabetes in a controlled setting.
In addition, those who ate walnut oil saw their haemoglobin A1C levels drop by about 8%. (3-month average blood glucose). The A1C and fasting blood glucose levels did not show any improvement in the control group. The weight of people in both groups did not change.
Walnuts may help you maintain a healthy weight, which may make you less likely to get type 2 diabetes. This is because walnuts have been shown to help people keep their weight under control. Walnuts may also have a direct effect on blood sugar control in other ways.
8. Could help lower blood pressure
High blood pressure is one of the main factors that can lead to heart disease and stroke. Some research shows that eating walnuts can lower blood pressure in people with high blood pressure and in healthy people who are stressed.People who ate a heart-healthy Mediterranean diet high in nuts had a 0.65 mmHg lower diastolic blood pressure (the lower number) than those who ate a Mediterranean diet without nuts.
Based on this evidence, eating nuts may make the benefits of a heart-healthy diet on blood pressure a little better. This is important because it is thought that even small changes in blood pressure can have a big impact on how likely a person is to die from heart disease.
Several studies have shown that eating about 1 ounce (28 grams) of nuts, especially walnuts, every day as part of a heart-healthy diet can help lower blood pressure.
9. Boosting your chances of a happy and healthy old age
A high level of physical functioning is crucial if you want to maintain your independence and mobility as you age. Maintaining healthy eating habits could be one way to help you maintain your physical abilities.More than fifty thousand older women took part in an 18-year observational study, and those with the healthiest diets had a 13% lower risk of developing a physical disability. Walnuts were one of the foods that contributed most to a healthy diet. One such food was walnuts.
Walnuts are full of important vitamins, minerals, fibre, lipids and phytochemicals that can help your body work better as you get older. Even though they are high in calories, walnuts are a good choice. Eating walnuts can help you maintain your ability to walk and care for yourself as you get older.
10. Helps maintain healthy brain function
One study suggests that eating walnuts is good for your mental health, which may or may not have something to do with the fact that their shells look like miniature brains. Walnuts contain polyunsaturated fats, flavonoids and vitamin E, all of which may protect the brain from damage caused by oxidation and inflammation.In a 10-month study of Alzheimer's disease, mice given 6-9% of their daily calories in walnuts (equivalent to 1-1.5 ounces or 28-45 grams in humans) had improved learning, memory and anxiety compared to a control group that did not receive walnuts.
In observational studies of adults over a certain age range, eating walnuts has been associated with improved cognitive performance. Although these results are promising, we still need to learn more about how walnuts affect the way the human brain works before we can say for sure what they mean.
Walnuts contain many different nutrients, some of which may protect your brain from inflammation, which can be harmful, and keep your brain healthy as you age.
11. Promotes men's sexual and reproductive health
Scientific research has shown that a Western diet high in processed foods, sugar and refined carbohydrates is associated with lower sperm quality. Walnuts may improve sperm quality and male fertility.A total of 117 healthy young men took part in the study and those who ate walnuts daily as part of a Western-style diet (an average of 2.5 ounces or 75 grams) for three months showed improved sperm shape, vitality and motility compared to those who didn't eat nuts. An animal study found that walnuts reduced oxidative stress in sperm membranes.
More research is needed to confirm these benefits, but if you're a man concerned about your fertility, you can easily test the hypothesis by eating walnuts. Daily consumption of walnuts may reduce the negative effects of a poor diet on sperm health.
12. Improves blood fat levels
Higher levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol and triglycerides have long been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.Many studies have shown that regular consumption of walnuts can lower cholesterol levels.
In a new study of 194 healthy people, those who ate 1.5 ounces (43 grams) of walnuts every day for eight weeks had a 5% reduction in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides compared to those who did not eat walnuts.
Blood levels of apolipoprotein B, a marker of total LDL particle count, were also about 6% lower in the walnut eaters. One of the most important predictors of cardiovascular disease is elevated levels of apolipoprotein B.
When it comes to nuts, walnuts are one of the healthiest options. They have more heart-healthy omega-3 fats than any other popular nut and more antioxidant activity than any other popular nut.
One of the many health benefits associated with walnuts is a reduction in the body's inflammatory response, and another is a reduction in risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The high nutrient content of walnuts is responsible for some of these benefits.
Scientists are still trying to work out all the ways in which the polyphenols and other plant compounds in walnuts might interact with the bacteria in your gut to improve your health.
You'll be hearing more about walnuts in the future as more research is conducted into their purported health benefits.
In the meantime, there are many benefits to adding them to your diet right now.
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Disclaimer: This is for informational purposes only
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