Sometimes simplest foods can be best for our health. As a perfect package of healthy fats, fiber, protein, plant sterols, many minerals and vitamins, antioxidants Mother Nature created nuts.
Research shows that walnuts may boost your health. Eating daily only one ounce of walnuts can show their beneficial properties.
7 Reasons to eat walnuts
Along with hazelnuts, macadamia, pecans, pine nuts, Brazil nuts and other Walnuts belong to the nut tree family. 1/4 cup of walnuts can provide more than 100% of our daily recommended value of omega-3 fats, along with copper, molybdenum, manganese and biotin.
Cancer – Fighting Properties
Eating nuts can help reduce the risk of prostate cancer and breast cancer. Study confirm that mice who ate 2.4 ounces of walnuts in period of 18 weeks hag smaller growing prostate tumors. Prostate cancer growth can be reduced 30-40% by consuming whole walnut. In another study researchers found that a two handfuls of walnuts can slower the tumor growth by 50%.
Heart Health
People with heart disease should eat walnuts because of the presents of the amino acid l- arginine. This amino acid offers vascular benefits. You have to limit or avoid walnuts if you struggle with herpes. ALA – alpha- linolenic acid is plant- based omega 3 fat that is contained in walnuts. Study shows that people who have a diet high in ALA have 50% lower risk of cardiac death or fatal heart attack. Controlling cholesterol levels and raise blood levels can be accomplished by consuming only 4 walnuts a day. Consuming one ounce of walnuts daily can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Powerful and Rare Antioxidants
Antioxidants are crucial items for maintain healthy body. Some powerful antioxidants are contained in walnuts. These antioxidants can be found in a few foods. These antioxidants are: the quinone juglone, the flavonol morin, the tannin tellimagrandin.
These antioxidants are so powerful at free- radical scavenging that researchers call them ‘’ remarkable’’. Research concluded that: Nuts are high in the antioxidant polyphenol. This antioxidant can inhibit oxidative processes that lead to atherosclerosis by binding to lipoproteins. Nuts can improve the lipid profile, reduce inflammation and increase endothelial function without causing weight gain.
Controlling Weight
Adding nuts (walnuts) in your diet in healthful amounts can help you maintain ideal weight. In study, people whose diets had extra nuts (walnuts) lost 1.4 extra pounds and ½ inch from their waists compared to the others.
Improved Reproductive Health in Men
One more benefit of walnuts is their impact on male fertility. Sperm quality, motility, morphology and vitality can be improved by adding only 75 grams of walnuts daily.
Brain Health
Neuroprotective compounds such as Vitamin E, melatonin, omega 3, folate are also found in walnuts. Consumption may support brain health. Study shows that consuming walnuts can help increase health span, enhance cognitive and motor function and decrease vulnerability to oxidative stress.
Diabetes
Walnuts can improve the metabolic parameters in people with type 2 diabetes. Adults with type 2 diabetes who ate ¼ cup of walnuts daily had reductions in fasting insulin levels compared to the others. Results can be achieved in only 3 months.
Why You Should Eat he Walnut Skin
People thought that 90% of the antioxidants in walnuts can be found in the skin. This flaky, whitish part is the healthiest part to consume. If you want to increase the positive impact you have to consume raw and organic nuts, not pasteurized. Shelled or unshelled walnuts should be stored in an airtight container in freezer of refrigerator. When you buy walnuts in bulk, avoid those that smell rancid or you cannot verify that are fresh. Walnuts are great snack, but someone can’t be fan of their flavor. You can add walnuts into smoothies by blending them. Another way to improve walnuts quality is to put them in water overnight. This will lower some of the enzyme inhibitors and physic acid. After soaking them in water you can dehydrate them at temperature between 105-110 degrees Fahrenheit. This process will make them crispy and crunchy.
Most Nuts Are a Wonderful Food
You can’t make a mistake when you are choosing which nuts to eat, as long you pay a good attention to quality. This means that you should go for raw and organic nuts. An exception from this are peanuts, but they technically belong to the legume family. Objections to peanuts are listed below:
- Peanuts distort omega3 to omega6 ratio, because they highly rich in omega- 6
- Peanuts can be contaminated with aflatoxin ( carcinogenic mold)
- Peanuts can be pesticide- contaminated crops
Most people favorite nuts are pecans and macadamia. This huts provide highest amount of healthy fat and they have lower levels of protein and crabs.
Nuts are recommended as one of the best sources of healthy fats. Main fatty acid in macadamia nuts is the monounsaturated fat oleic acid (60%), this I almost equal to the level found in olives. In the table below are shown some nutrition facts in gr/ounce. One ounce of nuts is little more than 28 grams or a small handful.
