Walnut is a nutritional nut that originated in the Mediterranean region and Central Asia, and humans have been consuming it for thousands of years. The walnut nutrition facts and benefits by research suggest that these nuts are dense in omega-3 fats and are rich in antioxidants. Eating walnuts may improve brain health and prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Walnuts are usually eaten on their own as a snack and can also be used to prepare salads, pasta, baked goods, breakfast cereals, and soups. They’re also used to make walnut oil which is an expensive food oil frequently used in salad dressings. The most common variety of walnut is the English walnut.
Walnut is associated with a number of health benefits. They have been linked with a reduced risk of heart disease and cancer and improved functioning of the brain. Let us look into the health benefits of walnuts.
Walnut Benefits for Heart health
Heart disease or cardiovascular disease is a general term that includes chronic conditions related to the heart and blood vessels.
In several cases, your risk of heart disease can be diminished with healthy lifestyle habits, such as eating nuts such as walnuts. In fact, many studies show that consuming walnuts may fight risk factors for heart disease by lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol, reducing inflammation, improving blood vessel function, thus lowering the risk of plaque accumulation in your arteries. These effects are probably caused due to the good fat composition of walnuts and their dense antioxidant content.
Walnut Benefits for Brain health
Several studies suggest that consuming nuts may improve brain function. They also reveal that walnuts may help with depression and age-related brain function decline.
A study in older people associated regular consumption of walnuts with great improvement in memory.
However, these studies were observational and cannot affirm that walnuts were the sole reason for improvements in brain function. The stronger proof is offered by studies that find out the effect of consuming walnuts directly.
One two-month study in 64 young, healthy adults found that eating walnuts improved understanding and reasoning. However, no major improvements in non-verbal reasoning, memory, and mood were found.
Walnuts have also been shown to boost brain function in animals. When mice with Alzheimer’s disease were made to eat walnuts daily for 10 months, their memory and learning skills greatly improved. Similarly, studies in older rats detected that eating walnuts for eight weeks cured age-related conditions in brain function.
May decrease inflammation
Several plant compounds and nutrients in walnuts may help reduce inflammation which plays a major role in giving rise to chronic diseases. It also improves gut health. Eating walnuts nourishes the bacteria present in your gut. This improves gut health and may help lower the risk of diseases.
The bottom line
Thus, we see the several health benefits of walnuts. Eating walnuts regularly improves not only brain health but also reduces the risk of several heart diseases as well as cancer. These nuts can be eaten just like it or added to several food varieties and beverages. To put it simply, eating walnuts is one of the best things you can do to improve your overall health.
