All nuts are healthy, but if you have to choose, walnuts are one of the best you can eat. Research has proven its benefits can help prevent many chronic diseases. It is a simple food that you can eat as a snack or add to a smoothie or a salad. A handful of walnuts daily can provide your body with a plethora of essential minerals and vitamins — especially manganese, thiamine, and folate. Several clinical studies have shown walnuts have potential in preventing cancer and heart disease, as well as promoting weight loss and maintaining brain health. Here are your 10 proven benefits of eating walnuts, based on scientific studies.
One of the best benefits of walnuts is the number of important vitamins and mineral that it provides. One cup of walnuts gives fairly large percentages of your recommended intake for several essential nutrients — some include:
Walnuts may help you prevent neurodegeneration conditions such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, which affect your brain’s function and quality of life. A diet rich in foods, such as walnuts earlier in life can help prevent brain diseases in the future.
In a 2014 article published in the “Journal of Nutrition,” researchers explain that common walnuts are rich in polyphenols (a type of antioxidant), which helps reduce inflammation in the brain and its oxidant load. It’s chemical compounds and polyunsaturated fatty acids also provide the brain with nutrients that may prevent age-related brain disorders.
Several clinical trials have indicated that walnuts may help reduce cardiovascular risk factors by reducing bad cholesterol (LDL). A review published in the “The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” looked at 13 studies with 365 participants to analyze the effect of eating walnuts for one to six months.
The results showed that walnuts can reduce your overall cholesterol, particularly LDL cholesterol, which can contribute to heart disease. The researchers also note that walnuts may reduce blood fats and your overall BMI — both of which can contribute to cardiovascular disease.
With its beneficial heart properties, it is no surprise that walnuts can also help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. “The Journal of Nutrition” analyzed the relationship between walnuts and type 2 diabetes from two large studies of about 130,000 women. The study found that the women who ate one to three 28 gram servings of walnuts every month had a lower risk of diabetes than those who rarely eat them. There are smaller studies, which indicate men may experience the same benefits.
Although walnuts are high in fat, it can help you lose weight if you keep the portion size low. A handful (one ounce or 1/4 cup) is about 12 to 14 walnut halves. A handful of walnuts comes to about 190 calories and seven half is enough to make you feel full. This is due to its high fiber and protein content — both of which promote satiety.
So how do walnuts help you lose weight? Snacking adds an average of 580 calories to a person’s daily calorie intake, according to a nutritionist, Richard Mattes of Purdue. If you replace your empty calorie snacks with walnuts you may only consume an addition 190 calories from snacking. This can lead to weight loss of one pound weekly if you include moderate exercise or about 2700 calories weekly.
Walnuts may have properties that can help you prevent certain cancers. “The Journal of Nutrition” notes that walnut’s omega-3 fatty acids and various antioxidant properties may have an anti-cancer effect. When consumed as part of a cancer prevention diet, walnuts can help strengthen your innate immune system to help prevent cancerous cells emerging in your system. Breast and colon cancer are types that a walnut-enriched diet may help you avoid.
Including walnuts in your diet can help improve the quality of your sperm, which may enhance fertility in healthy males. The medical journal “Biology of Reproduction” conducted two randomized studies on 117 young men who routinely consume a western-style diet. By adding 75 grams of shelled walnuts to their diet for three months, researchers concluded that walnuts increased the activity (vitality and motility) of sperm cells.
Walnuts have shown potential as a healthy brain food in an animal study. In 2014 the “Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease“ conducted a study adding walnuts as a dietary supplementation with mice. The researchers found improved memory and learning skills, as well as reduced anxiety in mice. While this does not guarantee the same results in human trials, it does identify walnuts as a potential aid in diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease as previously discussed.
Walnuts ranks among the best nuts you can eat!
When it comes to antioxidant value, walnuts ranks among the top of all nuts. Research published in the journal “Food and Function,” found that walnuts have more polyphenols — a healthy antioxidant — than other nuts, such as brazil nuts, pecans, and almonds. Its antioxidant profile contributes to many of the benefits listed and only about seven walnut halves daily are enough to enjoy some of its benefits.
One cup of walnuts contains 7.8 grams of fiber, which is about 30 percent daily value. Other than aiding in weight loss, dietary fiber also helps normalize bowel movements and control blood-sugar levels. As part of a healthy diet, high-fiber foods, such as walnuts can help reduce the risk of stroke, hemorrhoids, irritable bowel syndrome and kidney stones.
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