Posted by Walnuts are the best brain food. Not just because their furrowed appearance resembles a human brain, but because of their nutrition. Research suggests that consuming walnuts on a regular basis improves brain function. They are easy to add to any diet and highly rich in nutritional content.
In fact, walnuts are better than many nuts – even almonds. This is because walnuts are rich in polyunsaturated fats, vitamins, fibers, and minerals like zinc, potassium, magnesium, and iron. In terms of nutritional content, walnuts trump all other dry fruits. Let’s take a look at their benefits in detail.
1. Walnuts are beneficial for the brain
Walnuts are the best nut for brain health. They contain a healthy amount of alpha-linolenic acid. It’s a type of plant-based omega-3 fatty acid. They possess more polyphenolic compounds than any other type of nut. Both of these components are critical brain foods. These components can help counteract oxidative stress as well as inflammation – the two primary drivers of cognitive decline due to old age. Therefore, walnuts can significantly influence brain cognition and overall brain health. Other similar studies suggest that mothers who consume enough omega-3 fatty acids have smarter children.
2. Walnuts are Anti-Cancer
Walnuts combat the risk of cancers. They are rich in anti-oxidants, and omega 3 fatty acids, which play a vital role in the body’s fight against cancer. Particularly, walnuts are beneficial for pancreatic, prostate, and breast cancer. Research by Marshall University shows that walnuts can help women with breast cancer. According to the study, having two ounces of walnuts every day for two straight weeks can slow down breast cancer growth. It can also reduce the risk of developing breast cancer.
3. Walnuts can keep your heart healthy
According to the American Heart Association, these wonderful nuts abound in components like linolenic acid and alpha-linolenic acid – both are types of monosaturated omega3 fatty acids. It’s the same heart-healthy fat that is found in most fish. These acids provide a healthy lipid supply to the body and positively affect cardiovascular health. Besides, they lower bad cholesterol levels and increase good cholesterol. Healthy adults who have had about a half cup of walnuts a day for two years can significantly reduce their LDL cholesterol levels.
4. Walnuts support good body composition
Walnuts are high in fiber contents. Due to this, they make you feel fuller even after you consume a handful of walnuts. Moreover, walnuts are rich in proteins and Polysaturated fats (PUFAs) and can help in healthy weight loss. Consuming PUFAs lower the hormone ghrelin. It signals the body to feel hungry. Some nutritionists also believe that walnuts stimulate the right insula in the brain, which regulates the appetite and helps control food cravings. Furthermore, walnuts contain the anti-oxidant compound ellagic acid. It reduces inflammation and improves gut health. Thus, it leads to a higher metabolism, which in turn burns fat faster.
5. Walnuts are good for Diabetes
Walnuts help build insulin resistance in the body. They help control blood glucose levels and reduce the risk of developing type2 Diabetes in the long run. This is because Walnuts are rich in dietary fibers. As fibers take a long time to digest, it ensures the slow release of sugars in the blood. Not to mention, the glycemic index of walnuts is also pretty low. It’s a relative ranking of carbs on the basis of how they affect the glucose level in the blood. Any food with a GI index lower than 55 is ideal for diabetics.
6. Walnuts are good for bones
Several scientific researches show that the intake of omega 3 fatty acids improve bone health. It’s a macronutrient that helps boost calcium in your bones. Therefore, it reduces the risk of bone diseases like osteoporosis and arthritis. Walnuts, like other dry fruits like cashews and almonds, are replete with omega 3 fatty acids. Not just that, walnuts also contain trace amounts of Vitamin B6, Vitamin D12, folate, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Other benefits of walnuts for bone health are:
- Reduction in urinary excretion
- Increase in calcium deposition
- Enhanced collagen synthesis
- Inhibition of osteoclast & increase in osteoblast activities of the body
7. Walnuts can help induce sleep
Walnuts contain several compounds linked to healthy sleep patterns. They are an excellent resource of tryptophan, an amino acid that your body utilizes to produce melatonin and serotonin. These hormones are relaxation minerals that help induce and regulate your sleep. Melatonin, in particular, governs the sleep-wake cycle of the body necessary for quality sleep. Furthermore, Walnuts also contain magnesium. If you consider your brain as having an on-off switch, magnesium is the part of the process that turns off the switch. So, instead of taking melatonin pills for sleep, you can just snack on a few walnuts to get your daily fix.
8. Walnuts are good for skin and hair
Walnuts have moisturizing and nourishing properties. Nutrients like Vitamin B5 and Vitamin E diminish scars, patchy skin, and other lightening spots. Moreover, the anti-oxidants present in this dry fruit protect against free radical skin damage. Walnuts work overtime to exfoliate your dead skin cells and remove dirt/oil and other impurities deep within the skin pores. In turn, this prevents acne and makes your skin clean, healthy, and incredibly supple. As for hair, walnuts provide the following benefits:
- Prevent hair dandruff
- Improve scalp health
- Stop the impact of balding due to age
- Strengthen the hair follicles
9. Walnuts improve sperm quality
This dry fruit helps in male reproductive health. Research suggests that eating walnuts on a regular basis can protect the spermatozoa by reducing the peroxidative damage on its cell membrane. According to a study by the University of Delaware, consuming 2.5 ounces (30 walnut halves) of walnuts every day significantly improves the morphology, vitality, and motility of sperm cells in men. For the research, 100 healthy men were asked to share what they eat during the day throughout the study. At the end of the study period, the researchers found that consuming walnuts improved sperm quality – although more research was recommended to further verify the role of walnuts.