HEALTHIEST
NUT WALNUT
Walnuts may be considered the king of nuts for
health benefits, with a combination of more healthful and higher quality
antioxidants, U.S. researchers say.
Scientists
at University of Scranton, Pennsylvania have recently discovered that walnuts
have highest levels of popyphenolic antioxidants than any other common edible
nuts. 100 g of walnuts contain 13541 µmol TE (Trolex equivalents) of oxidant
radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). Eating as few as six to seven average
sized nuts a day could help scavange disease causing free radicals from
the body.
Walnuts, a rich
source of the omega-3 fat, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), improve artery function
after a high fat meal and may be even more important in a Mediterranean-type
diet than olive oil in promoting heart health, suggests a small study from
Spain (Cortes B, Nunez I, J Am Coll Cardiol).
The nutritional
benefits of walnuts when consumed in
whole form, including the skin. We now know that approximately 90% of the
phenols in walnuts are found in the skin, including key phenolic acids,
tannins, and flavonoids.. There can be slight bitterness to this skin, and
that's often the reason that for removing it. However, we encourage you not to
remove this phenol-rich portion.
Phytonutrient
research on the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits of walnuts has moved
this food further and further up the ladder of foods that are protective
against metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular problems, and type 2 diabetes. Some
phytonutrients found in walnuts - for example, the quinone juglone - are found
in virtually no other commonly-eaten foods. Other phytonutrients - like the
tannin tellimagrandin or the flavonol morin - are also rare and valuable as
antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients. These anti-inflammatory and
antioxidant phytonutrients also help explain the decreased risk of certain
cancers - including prostate cancer and breast cancer - in relationship to
walnut consumption.
Eating just as
much as 25 g each day provides about 90% of RDI (recommended daily intake) of omega-3
fatty acids. Research studies have suggested that n-3 fatty acids by their
virtue of anti-inflammatory action helps to lower the risk of blood pressure,
coronary artery disease, strokes and breast, colon and prostate cancers.
In addition, they are also excellent source
of vitamin E, especially rich in gamma-tocopherol; contain about
21 g per 100 g (about 140% of daily-required levels). Vitamin E is a powerful
lipid soluble antioxidant, required for maintaining the integrity of cell
membrane of mucus membranes and skin by protecting it from harmful oxygen free
radicals.
They also very are rich source of minerals like manganese, copper, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and selenium. Potassium 375-500 ,Calcium13-91 , Magnesium189-278 (Mg/100g). Copper is a cofactor for many vital enzymes, including cytochrome c-oxidase and superoxide dismutase (other minerals function as co-factors for this enzyme are manganese and zinc). Zinc is a co-factor in many enzymes that regulate growth and development, sperm generation, digestion and nucleic acid synthesis. Selenium is an important micronutrient, which functions as co-factor for anti-oxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxidases.
Walnuts a Brain Food
Epidemiological studies in various countries including the U.S. suggest a connection between increased rates of depression and decreased omega-3 consumption, and in children, the relationship between low dietary intake of omega-3 fats and ADHD has begun to be studied. A recent Purdue University study showed that kids low in omega-3 essential fatty acids are significantly more likely to be hyperactive, have learning disorders, and to display behavioral problems. In the Purdue study, a greater number of behavioral problems, temper tantrums, and sleep problems were reported in subjects with lower total omega-3 fatty acid concentrations. More learning and health problems were also found in the children in the study who had lower total omega-3 fatty acid concentrations.
Heart Healthy
Some key research
findings about walnuts and heart health:
Blood Quality - decreased
LDL cholesterol; decreased total cholesterol; increased gamma-tocopherol;
increased omega-3 fatty acids in red blood cells (alpha-linolenic acid) .
Vasomotor- Tonedecreased aortic endothelin; improved
endothelial cell function .
Risk of Excessive
Clotting - decreased maximum platelet aggregation rate; decreased platelet
activation.
Risk of Excessive Inflammation - decreased C
reactive protein (CRP); decreased tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a).
Reduce problem in Metabolic
Syndrome
Metabolic
Syndrome (MetS) isn't so much a
"disease" as a constellation of problematic and overlapping metabolic
problems including excessive blood fats (triglycerides), high blood pressure,
inadequate HDL cholesterol, and obesity (as measured by waist circumference,
and/or body mass index). Recent studies have shown that approximately one ounce
of walnuts daily over a period of 2-3 months can help reduce several of these
MetS-related problems. In addition, addition of walnuts to participant diets
has also been shown to decrease "abdominal adiposity"—the technical
term for the depositing of fat around the mid-section. Importantly, the MetS
benefits of added walnuts have been achieved without causing weight gain in any
the studies we've seen to date.
Help prevent Gallstone
Twenty years of
dietary data collected on over 80,000 women from the Nurses' Health Study shows
that women who eat least 1 ounce of nuts, peanuts or peanut butter each week
have a 25% lower risk of developing gallstones. Since 1 ounce is only 28.6 nuts
or about 2 tablespoons of nut butter, preventing gallbladder disease may be as
easy as having a handful of walnuts as an afternoon pick me up, or tossing some
walnuts on your oatmeal or salad.
Benefits in Treatment of Type 2
Diabetes
Protect Bone Health
Alpha linolenic acid, the omega-3 fat found in walnuts, promotes bone health by helping to prevent excessive bone turnover-when consumption of foods rich in this omega-3 fat results in a lower ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in the diet.(Griel AE, Kris-Etherton PM, et al. Nutrition Journal) .
Anti-Cancer Benefits
Helpful for better sleep
Want a better night's sleep? Melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland, which is involved in inducing and regulating sleep and is also a powerful antioxidant, has been discovered in walnuts in bio-available form, making them the perfect evening food for a natural good night's sleep.
Melatonin has been shown to help improve sleep for night shift workers and people suffering from jet lag, but maintaining healthy levels of this hormone is important for everyone over the age of 40 since the amount of melatonin produced by the human body decreases significantly as we age, and this decrease in antioxidant protection may be related to the development of free radical-related diseases later in life.
In a study published in Nutrition, Russell Reiter and colleagues at the University of Texas have not only quantified the amount of melatonin present in walnuts-between 2.5 and 4.5 ng/gram-but have demonstrated that eating walnuts triples blood levels of melatonin and also increases antioxidant activity in the bloodstream in animals.
Lower risk of weight Gain
A prospective study published in the journal Obesity shows such fears are groundless. In fact, people who eat nuts at least twice a week are much less likely to gain weight than those who almost never eat nuts.
Study authors concluded, "Frequent nut consumption was associated with a reduced risk of weight gain (5 kg or more). These results support the recommendation of nut consumption as an important component of a cardioprotective diet and also allay fears of possible weight gain."
Walnuts can easily be added to your Healthiest Way of Eating. Just chop and add to your favorite salad, vegetable dish, fruit, or dessert.