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Walnuts are good for health. Wait, that’s not enough. Eating walnuts regularly satiates the body’s need for fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals that are the ingredient of good health and that’s not even all. So it wouldn’t be wrong to say that walnuts have amazing health benefits.
In the last few decades, numerous studies have been done on the benefits of walnuts. Although, a little bitter, don’t you just love to savor their crunchy texture and irresistible taste? Walnut is an ingredient in so many cookies, cakes, granola, power bars, cereals, bread, and desserts. The oil in walnuts has great moisturizing and anti-aging properties. They also consist of vital fatty acids and are considered great for the brain since they foster the intellect.
Including superfoods like walnuts in your diet is essential. Every body and its metabolism differ in some way and therefore, incorporating a customized diet is indispensable. Looking for a nutritionist for diet plans? Get FITFEAST to connect with experts on chat and call in real-time and streamline your daily diet.
10 Benefits of Walnuts
Eating walnuts is associated with increased brain function; they also ease depression and help with age-related brain function decline. Walnuts offer considerable improvement in memory. Studies done on walnut benefits suggest that eating them daily increases comprehension powers. The benefits of walnuts are not limited to humans; they’re advantageous for animals as well when it comes to learning skills. The positive effects on the brain are owed to high oxidant and omega-3 fatty acids contents.
Overall health depends on a healthy gut and the latter depends on whether your gut contains healthy bacteria and other microbes. A composition of unhealthy bacteria and microbes in your gut can lead to inflammation and diseases. This may lead to an increased risk of obesity, cancer, and heart diseases. What you eat influences the constitution of your microbiota and walnuts can take care of that. Consuming around 40 grams of walnuts every day for up to 2 months can significantly improve gut health.
Certain studies done over the years suggest that walnuts reduce the risk of colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers. Walnuts are packed with polyphenols, which are converted into urolithins by the microbes. This compound has anti-inflammatory properties, which protect the gut against colorectal cancer. It might prevent other cancers as well. Urolithins block hormone receptors in the body, which reduces the risk of hormone-related cancers, especially prostate and breast cancers.
Walnuts are calorie-dense, which helps in controlling your appetite. Drinking smoothies with 40-50 grams of walnuts each day decreases appetite and hunger while the body receives the necessary nutrients. Within 5-7 days of drinking the smoothies, members involved in a study witnessed a discernible decrease in hunger cravings, especially junk food.
Blood pressure issues are often the cause of heart problems and strokes. High blood pressure due to stress in healthy people can be managed by eating walnuts, according to some studies. A similar study that included eating 28 grams nuts (half nuts) with a Mediterranean diet regulated the blood pressure in people. Although the difference was small, any impact significantly lowers the risk of death due to heart diseases.
Since walnuts are known to regulate weight, they help lower the risk of type-2 diabetes. High blood sugar and diabetes are often associated with excess weight. Consuming 1 TBSP of walnut oil (cold-pressed) for up to 12 weeks without any change in the medication and diet resulted in reduced fasting blood sugar.
Walnuts cleanse the digestive system of several parasites. They are nutrient-rich and are good for losing weight and heart health. However, nothing good can come from overeating walnuts as they’re strictly snack food. Moderate consumption will fulfill your nutritional needs, prevent allergies, and unforeseen health problems.
Walnuts are packed with B-vitamins that reduce stress and improve mood. The lower the stress, the better the skin. Extreme levels of stress can speed up the onset of wrinkles, thus making you age faster. In addition to B-vitamins, they contain the natural oxidant – Vitamin E – that fights free radicals bourne due to stress.
Regularly applying warm walnut oil on the skin keeps it moisturized and nourishes it from within, which promotes the growth of healthy skin cells. Walnut oil lightens dark circles as well since it’s a soothing agent; it eases the puffiness and relaxes your eyes.
Walnuts are packed with an important fatty acid – alpha-linolenic, which is associated with strong bones. The omega-3 fatty acids present in walnuts relieve inflammation and maintain bone health for long periods.
Processed foods, sugar, and refined grains reduce sperm functions, whereas walnuts support sperm health and therefore, improve fertility. Consuming up to 75 grams of walnuts daily for about 3 months improved the shape, vitality, and mobility of the sperm of men involved in a study. Moreover, walnuts also reduce oxidative stress, which protects sperms.
Eating a few walnuts with breakfast daily can help you maintain your health and reduce the risk of several health issues.