10 Proven Health Benefits Of Walnuts

Do you know the health benefits of Walnuts? Walnuts possess medicinal benefits which help to keep your body healthy.

In this article, we’ve taken the time to explain in detail the various health benefits of walnuts.

Before we proceed to reveal the health benefits of walnuts, we’d first share something vital to this topic. Let’s get started.

Table of Contents

Is it Good to Eat Walnuts Every Day?

Some have asked to know if they could eat walnuts every day. But, we’d answer the question with a sneak peek of the health benefits of walnuts.

Walnuts is from the Mediterranean region and Central Asia. Botanically called Juglans Regia, the walnuts seed grows on tree nut that belongs to the walnut family. It’s been eaten by humans for thousands of years.
Beyond any kind of nut, walnuts are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids.

Regularly eating walnuts takes care of the heart, regulates heartbeat rate and helps to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. It also contains sufficient antioxidants and can keep the brain healthy.

Walnuts are eaten alone as snacks. They could also be eaten with plates of pasta, salads, cereals, soups and baked products.

Culinary oil from walnuts is usually expensive. It’s often used to dress salads for special events or ceremonies.

The common walnut which we’re talking about, often referred to as the English or Persian walnut, is grown worldwide. There’s also the black walnut (Juglans Nigra), which is grown in North America.

Right now, let’s take a look at the nutritional content of walnuts.

Nutritional Content Of Walnuts

The nutritional content of walnuts is what makes it medicinal. Therefore, it’s important that we pay attention to what’s in it that makes it beneficial for health.

Walnuts contain 65% fat and 15% protein. A 30-gram (up to 14 halves) of walnut contains the following:

Calories: 185
Water: 4%
Protein: 4.3 grams (15%)
Carbs: 3.9 grams
Sugar: 0.7 grams
Fiber: 1.9 grams
Fat: 18.5 grams (65%)

Walnuts are rich in calories. Just like other nuts, the high content of fat makes them rich in calories. However, research shows that the high percentage of fat in walnuts doesn’t increase the risk of obesity in people who eat it often.

Present in the walnut is the Omega-6 fatty acid called linoleic acid (one of the numerous polyunsaturated fats in it). Unlike other nuts, walnuts are rich in Omega-3 fat alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). This makes up about 14% of its total fat.

Beyond this, walnuts are the only nuts known to contain a sufficient amount of ALA (alpha-linolenic acid). What’s it about the ALA?

The ALA is beneficial for the heart. It helps to reduce inflammation and improve blood fat composition. It’s the main source for Omega-3 fat. Most of the health benefits of walnut are traceable to the presence of this acid.

Walnuts are also rich in several vitamins and minerals including:

Copper

Copper helps to maintain bone and nerves. It also helps the immune system to function properly.

Folic acid

Folic acid helps to avert deficiency which may cause birth defects in the pregnancy stage.

Phosphorus

Mainly present in bones, the body is made up of up to 1% phosphorus. It keeps bones strong and healthy.

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 strengthens the immune system and improves body health. It prevents cases of Anemia.

Manganese

Manganese is found mostly in nuts, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Vitamin E

Walnuts possess high levels of vitamin E, and a special type of it called gamma-tocopherol.

Other plant compounds found in walnuts include Ellagic acid (reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer) Catechin (improves heart health) Melatonin (regulates body clock) and Phytic acid (protects against insulin)

How Many Walnuts Should You Eat a Day?

Though walnuts are very nutritious, just as we’ve seen. You don’t need to eat so much of them to reap their benefits.

If truly you want to make walnuts a part of your daily diet, eat at least 7 and at most 10 pieces per day.

Excessive consumption could lead to allergies, gastrointestinal discomfort, and weight gain (a result of high-calorie intake).

With all of these that we’ve taken you through, it’s obvious that walnuts are highly medicinal.

At this juncture, we’ll proceed to list the top 10 health benefits of walnuts.

The Top 10 Health Benefits Of Walnuts

Walnuts have several health benefits which include cancer prevention, and improved brain function. It also reduces the risk of heart disease.

Find below a comprehensive list of the health benefits of walnuts.

1. Rich In Antioxidants

Walnuts are a rich source of antioxidants. They help fight oxidative damage in the body.

An example is damage to the arteries caused by LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol which promotes atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis builds up fats, cholesterol and other substances in and on the artery walls.

2. Reduces Heart Disease

As we’ve talked about it in the nutrient section, walnuts are a good source of Omega-3 fats which help to reduce heart diseases.

3. Decreases Inflammation

One of the health benefits of walnuts is that it helps to fight inflammation. It’s been proven very helpful in cases of chronic diseases to prevent the effects of inflammation.

4. Promotes Healthy Gut

Eating walnuts helps to nourish useful bacteria that live in the gut. This keeps the gut healthy and could help to reduce gut-related diseases.

5. Reduces Cancerous Growth

The polyphenols in walnuts have the potential to reduce your risk of cancers like breast, prostate and colorectal cancers.

However, more studies are in progress as touching the curative powers of walnuts to cure cancer.

6. Helps to Control Weight

It’s amazing that though walnuts are high in calories, it doesn’t mean that you absorb all of them.

In some cases, walnuts have been proven to control appetite and hunger.

7. Fights Diabetes

Another health benefit of walnuts is that it helps to control type 2 diabetes.

Beyond reducing the risk of heart diseases, walnuts also have strong positive effects on blood sugar levels.

As a result, it helps to control body weight in diabetic patients.

8. Lowers Blood Pressure

Regularly eating walnuts in a bid to deal with heart-related diseases helps to improve blood pressure.

Research suggests that 1 ounce (28 grams) of nuts daily would help to lower blood pressure.

9. Supports Healthy Aging

Walnuts help the general state of health and well-being of a person.

The ability to walk and take care of oneself declines with old age. But, a healthy diet that includes walnuts could help to prevent disabilities associated with aging.

10. Supports Brain Function

One of the outstanding health benefits of walnuts is that it protects the brain.

As you age, you protect your brain from damage and improve its functions when you regularly eat walnuts.

Final Notes

Walnuts is crunchy and tasty and many people love to eat it for that reason. It’s fine. But if you only enjoy eating the nut, it’s time to eat it with the health benefits in mind. Get started today and stay healthy eating walnuts.

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