Walnuts Health Benefits

Over the past decade, a lot of scientific research has been done on walnuts’ health benefits. What this little nut can do for your health is amazing. It has been known for a long time as the heart-healthy nut because of all the health benefits it provides to your heart, but that’s only one of the benefits of walnuts. They also promote bone health and help with weight loss. Here is some more information on the mighty walnut.

1. Nutrients in Walnuts. Walnuts are a great source of plant protein and plant sterols. They also have more monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats than any other nut. These fats are mostly omega 3 fatty acids and alpha linolenic acid. They are loaded with B vitamins, fiber, antioxidants like vitamin E and magnesium. The omega-3 fats in walnuts, flaxseed and cold-water fish are flexible and fluid and help the nutrients and wastes to get in and out of the brain cell membranes easier.
2. Reducing Risk of Heart Disease. Eating walnuts as part of your diet helps reduce heart disease risk. They help make blood vessels more elastic and reduce the accumulation of plaque. This claim has been approved by the FDA in 2004. Adding 1.5 ounces of walnuts to your diet helps reduce the risk of heart disease. Use them for a snack, put them on salad, or sprinkle on your oatmeal. They have also been shown to reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol and C-Reactive Protein (CRP) which aids in marking and predicting heart disease.
3. Walnuts v. Olive Oil. A small study in Spain showed that in Mediterranean-type diets adding walnuts with their omega-3 fat and alpha-linolenic acid may be more important in promoting heart health than eating a fatty meal with olive oil. People with high cholesterol who ate the walnuts had a 24 percent increase in blood flow in the brachial artery of the arm, and the ones whose meal contained olive oil actually had a 36 percent decrease in blood flow. Cholesterol and triglycerides decreased in about the same amount for both olive oil and walnuts. This study showed that the protective fat from walnuts is better in reducing the bad effects of a diet in saturated fats than the neutral fat olive oil. It just may not be the olive oil in a Mediterranean diet that is providing the protective health benefit because the diet also contains a lot of nuts, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes and fish. The health benefits may be a combination of all of them that protects against diseases, cognitive decline and several cancers.
4. Low Omega-3 Consumption. In several studies around the world, the rates of depression in adults and ADHD in children increased when omega-3 consumption was low. In a Purdue University study, there was also an increase in hyperactivity, sleep problems, learning disorders and behavior problems when the intake of omega-3 was low. Sixty percent of Americans are deficient in omega-3 fats and twenty percent have so little it doesn’t even register in a blood test.
5. Walnuts and Sleep. Melatonin, a bio-available antioxidant which helps induce and regulate sleep, has been found in walnuts. Our melatonin levels decrease as we age so eating walnuts is a great way to replenish our supply. A study from the University of Texas found that eating walnuts tripled the levels of melatonin in our blood, and in animals, it increased the antioxidant activity in the bloodstream. The study theorizes that if the body can resist free radical damage, eating walnuts may reduce cancer risk and the severity of Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease. Further investigation is being done.