Eating Walnuts health
benefits & Medicinal benefits
Walnuts are round,
single-seeded stone fruits that grow from the walnut tree. They are a good
source of healthful fats, protein, and fiber. They may enhance heart and bone
health and help in weight management.
Walnut trees are native to eastern North America but are now commonly grown in
China, Iran, United States in California and Arizona and in India. It is mainly grown in
India; Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Arunachal
Pradesh.
Beneath the husk of the walnut fruit it is a wrinkly, globe-shaped nut. The
walnut is split into two flat segments to be sold commercially.
Walnuts are available both raw or roasted, and salted or unsalted.
Nutritional breakdown
Organic walnuts (30 grams) contains: Energy: 200
calories , Carbohydrate 3.89 grams (g), Sugar: 1 g Fiber: 2 g, Protein: 5 g, Fat: 20 g, Calcium: 20 milligrams
(mg), Iron: 0.72 mg, Sodium: 0 mg .
Walnuts are also a good source of: manganese, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin
B6, iron .
Walnuts are high in
monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids. They are also
a good source of protein.
Nuts have a reputation for being a high-calorie and high-fat food. However,
they are dense in nutrients and provide heart-healthy fats.
The combination of healthy fats, protein, and fiber in walnuts helps to
increase satisfaction and fullness. This makes them more healthful as a snack,
compared with chips and other simple carbohydrate foods.
Health benefits
Consuming plant-based foods of all kinds has long been associated with a
reduced risk of many lifestyle-related health conditions.
The possible health benefits of walnuts may include boosting the cardiovascular
system and bone health, reducing the risk of gallbladder disease, and treating
epilepsy.
Heart health &
Cholesterol level
The monounsaturated and
polyunsaturated fatty acids found in walnuts have been shown to decrease LDL
(harmful) cholesterol and triglyceride levels which reduces the
risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and heart attack.
A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that the risk of
coronary heart disease is 37 percent lower for those consuming nuts more than
four times per week, compared to those who never or rarely consumed nuts.
walnut oil can benefit endothelial function. whole walnuts can
enhance the process of eliminating "bad" LDL cholesterol
Results of a meta-analysis published suggested that a diet that is high in
walnuts is linked to improved lipid and cholesterol profiles. The researchers
also concluded that walnuts also help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation.
"Eating 42 gm per day of most nuts as part of a diet low in saturated fat
and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease."
Gallstone disease
According to another
study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, frequent nut consumption
is associated with a reduced risk of cholecystectomy, an operation to remove
the gallbladder.
Bone health
Walnuts are a good source of the mineral copper. Severe copper deficiency is
associated with lower bone mineral density and an increased risk of
osteoporosis (a condition in which bones become weak and brittle).
Copper also plays an important role in the maintenance of collagen and elastin,
major structural components of the body.
Without sufficient copper, the body cannot replace damaged connective tissue or
the collagen that makes up the building blocks for bone. This can lead to a
range of issues including joint dysfunction.
Walnuts contain a high amount of manganese has been shown to prevent
osteoporosis in combination with the minerals calcium and copper.
Magnesium, another mineral in walnuts, is important for bone formation as it
helps with the absorption of calcium into the bone.
Epilepsy
People with epilepsy have been found to have lower whole blood manganese levels
than those without epilepsy, although a manganese deficiency is not thought to
cause epilepsy.
Risks and precautions
Walnuts are dense in calories, and people are advised to consume them in
moderation to reduce this risk.
A high consumption of walnuts has also been linked to diarrhea.
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