Health Benefits Of English Walnuts – They originated in the Mediterranean region and Central Asia and have been part of the human diet for thousands of years.
These nuts are rich in omega-3 fats and contain higher amounts of antioxidants than most other foods. Eating walnuts can improve brain health and prevent heart disease and cancer (
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Health Benefits Of English Walnuts
Walnuts are most often eaten on their own as a snack, but can also be added to salads, pastas, breakfast cereals, soups, and baked goods.
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There are some species of edible nuts. This article is about the common walnut, sometimes called the English or Persian walnut, which is grown throughout the world.
Walnuts are made up of 65% fat and about 15% protein. They are low in carbohydrates, most of which consist of fiber.
Like other nuts, most of the calories in walnuts come from fat. This makes them an energy-dense, high-calorie food.
However, although nuts are high in fat and calories, studies indicate that they do not increase the risk of obesity when they replace other foods in your diet (
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Walnuts are also richer than most other nuts in polyunsaturated fats. The most abundant is an omega-6 fatty acid called linoleic acid.
They also contain a relatively high percentage of the healthy omega-3 fat alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). This constitutes about 8-14% of the total fat content (
ALA is considered especially beneficial for heart health. It also helps reduce inflammation and improve the composition of blood fats (
Additionally, ALA is a precursor to the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, which have been linked to numerous health benefits (
Can Walnut Consumption Benefit Brain Health?
SUMMARY Walnuts are primarily made up of protein and polyunsaturated fats. They contain a relatively high percentage of omega-3 fat, which has been linked to various health benefits.
SUMMARY Walnuts are an excellent source of several vitamins and minerals. These include copper, folic acid, phosphorus, vitamin B6, manganese, and vitamin E.
In fact, walnuts ranked second in a study that investigated the antioxidant content of 1,113 foods commonly eaten in the United States (
SUMMARY Walnuts are one of the richest dietary sources of antioxidants. These include ellagic acid, ellagitannins, catechin, and melatonin.
The Tale Of Two Walnuts
Walnuts are linked to a number of health benefits. They have been associated with a reduced risk of heart disease and cancer, as well as improved brain function.
Heart disease, or cardiovascular disease, is a broad term used for chronic conditions related to the heart and blood vessels.
In many cases, your risk of heart disease can be reduced with healthy lifestyle habits, such as eating nuts (
Walnuts are no exception. In fact, many studies show that eating walnuts can fight heart disease risk factors by:
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These effects are likely due to the beneficial fat composition of walnuts, as well as their rich antioxidant content.
Your risk of developing certain types of cancer can be reduced by eating healthy foods, exercising, and avoiding unhealthy lifestyle habits.
Since walnuts are a rich source of beneficial plant compounds, they could be an effective part of a cancer-preventing diet (
Observational studies have linked regular nut consumption to a lower risk of colon and prostate cancer (
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This is supported by animal studies indicating that eating walnuts can suppress cancer growth in breast, prostate, colon, and kidney tissue (
However, before any firm conclusions can be drawn, these effects need to be confirmed by human clinical studies.
Several studies indicate that eating walnuts can improve brain function. They also show that walnuts can help with depression and age-related decline in brain function (
Still, these studies were observational and cannot prove that the walnuts were the cause of the improvements in brain function. Studies investigating the effect of eating nuts directly provide stronger evidence.
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An 8-week study of 64 healthy young adults found that eating walnuts improved comprehension. However, no significant improvements were detected in nonverbal reasoning, memory, and mood (
Walnuts have also been shown to improve brain function in animals. When mice with Alzheimer’s disease were fed walnuts every day for 10 months, their memory and learning abilities improved significantly (
Similarly, studies in older rats found that eating walnuts for eight weeks reversed age-related deficits in brain function (
These effects are likely due to the high antioxidant content of walnuts, although their omega-3 fatty acids may also play a role (
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SUMMARY Walnuts are rich in antioxidants and healthy fats. They can reduce heart disease and cancer risk, as well as improve brain function and possibly slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Symptoms of a nut allergy are often severe and can include allergic shock (anaphylaxis), which can be fatal without treatment.
Phytic acid, or phytate, is a plant substance that prevents the absorption of minerals, such as iron and zinc, from the digestive tract. This only applies to meals that contain foods that are high in phytate.
People who eat unbalanced diets rich in phytic acid are at increased risk of developing mineral deficiencies, but most people shouldn’t worry.
Nutritional Benefits Of Walnuts That No One Told You About
SUMMARY Walnuts are very healthy, but some people are allergic to them and should avoid them. Phytic acid can affect mineral absorption, although this is not usually a concern for people following a balanced diet.
Also, eating nuts regularly can improve brain health and reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.
These nuts are easily incorporated into your diet as they can be eaten on their own or added to many different foods.
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English Walnuts Vs. Black Walnuts
For many, choosing a Y diet is all about sacrifice: giving up snacks, cutting back on carbs or saturated fat, giving up desserts. But what if there was something that you really liked and turned out to be good for you? No, I’m not talking about chocolate (although in small amounts, chocolate may not be too bad!).
This time it’s crazy on the news. Previous studies have found that people with higher nut consumption have better cardiovascular risk factors and lower rates of cardiovascular disease. For example, several trials have linked nut consumption to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. And nuts are an important part of the Mediterranean diet, which is also abundant.
A new study suggests that walnuts may be a particularly good choice. And this isn’t the first time researchers have come to this conclusion. An earlier analysis by the same researchers (including 365 study participants in 13 trials) found that walnut-enriched diets led to lower total and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol compared with other diets. Since then, more studies with many more participants and longer follow-up have been published.
This latest analysis combined data from 26 earlier trials that included more than 1,000 people; Compared to those following a regular diet, those consuming a nut-enriched diet had:
Walnuts: Nutritional Facts And Health Benefits
While these improvements in blood lipids were quite small, larger improvements (for example, a 12 mg/dL reduction in total cholesterol) were seen when the comparison diet was a typical American or Western diet (i.e., a diet rich in red meat, high-fat dairy products, and artificially sweetened foods).
A diet rich in high-fat foods such as nuts always raises concerns about potential weight gain, but fortunately those on the nut-rich diet did not gain weight.
While this new research is intriguing, it also raises the question of whether walnuts are unique in any way. In fact, it may be the types of oils in the nuts that make them special when it comes to cardiovascular disease. Walnuts contain many polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are richer than saturated fats. Additionally, walnuts have alpha-linolenic and linoleic acids, which may have anti-inflammatory effects that keep blood vessels healthy, as well as having favorable effects on blood lipids.
All nuts are not the same. Many nuts (like my favorites, almonds and cashews) are high in
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Unsaturated fats, along with polyunsaturated fats. These are more types of fats than saturated and trans fats, but the specific combination of fats and polyunsaturated fatty acids that nuts contain may be particularly good for cardiovascular health.
Researchers looking at previous studies on the benefits of walnuts have given us reasons to make them a regular part of our diet and, perhaps, to choose them over other nuts. Hopefully, this type of research will lead to better and better food choices.
Dr. Robert H. Shmerling is the former clinical chief of the division of rheumatology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and is a current fellow of the corresponding faculty of medicine at Harvard Medical School.… See full biography
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