13 Benefits Of Walnuts

Nuts have gotten a bad rap for being too
high in fat, but the truth about them is that
nuts, especially walnuts, are a powerhouse
of nutrition.
1. Helps you lose weight
Contrary to what people believe, walnuts
are actually good for weight management
since an ounce of walnut contains 2.5g of
omega 3 fats, 4g of protein and 2g of fibre
that help provide satiety. Any successful
weight management plan must include the
satiety factor; so walnut is undoubtedly the
right food to consider if you are into a
weight management programme. Despite
being 'dense in calories, walnuts can be an
important tool in helping you lose weight.
2. Helps you sleep
The nuts can improve sleep, as they contain
hormone melatonin, that induces sleep and
helps regulate sleep. This makes walnuts a
great evening or bedtime snack for
improving your sleep.
3. Great for your hair
Walnut is a good 'hair food' too. This is
because walnut contains biotin (vitamin
B7) that helps strengthen hair, reduce hair
fall and improve hair growth to certain
extent.
4. Helps keep heart disease at bay
Walnuts are rich in antioxidants and
omega-3 fatty acids which makes them
really effective in combating heart disease.
Omega-3 fatty acids also helps in
combating bad cholesterol and encourages
the production of good cholesterol making
it a great snack to keep your heart in great
health.
5. Prevents diabetes
According to a study, women who
consumed 28 grams of walnuts twice a
week, were 24% less likely to develop type 2
diabetes. The study was published in the
Journal of Nutrition , and even though it was
conducted on women, experts believe that
the benefits would be similar for men too.
6. Boosts your sperm quality
Eating 2.5 ounces of walnuts per day
improves Fluid quality in healthy young
men, researchers say. According to a study
by UCLA researchers, eating 75 grams of
walnuts a day improves the vitality,
motility, and morphology of sperm in
healthy men aged 21 to 35.
7. Makes your skin glow
Walnuts are rich in B-vitamins and
antioxidants which prevents your skin from
free radical damage and prevents wrinkles
and signs of ageing. So if you want glowing
skin long into your middle-age, eat
walnuts.
8. Can keep dementia at bay
Eating walnuts everyday can help ward off
dementia, say scientists. In the study, Dr.
Abha Chauhan and his team from the New
York State Institute found that mice
deprived of walnuts suffered a dramatic
loss in learning, memory and physical and
emotional control. According to the results,
vitamin E and flavanoids in walnuts helped
destroy harmful free radical chemicals that
cause dementia.
9. Prevents pancreatic cancer
A new study has found that consumption of
nuts, including walnuts, is inversely
associated with risk of pancreatic cancer,
independent of other potential risk factors
for pancreatic cancer. Researchers looked
at the association between nut
consumption and risk of pancreatic cancer
among 75,680 women in the Nurses' Health
Study, with no previous history of cancer. It
was observed that the women who
consumed a one-ounce serving of nuts two
or more times per week had a significantly
reduced risk of pancreatic cancer compared
to those who largely abstained from nuts.
10. Helps you live longer
Eating a handful of walnuts just thrice a
week is the key to a longer life, a study has
found. Scientists discovered that these
edible seeds cut the risk of dying from
cancer by 40 per cent and from
cardiovascular disease by at least 55 per
cent. In general, nut eaters in the research
had a 39 per cent lesser risk of death and
walnut eaters in particular a 45 per cent
reduced threat. Researchers have also
found that eating a polyphenol rich diet can
help you live longer.
11. Great for pregnant women
Mothers-to-be who eat a diet rich in fatty
acids such as those found in walnuts can
reduce the baby's chances of developing
food allergies, researchers say. The
research found that if a mother's diet
contains a certain group of polyunsaturated
fatty acids (PUFAs), the baby”s gut
develops differently. The PUFAs are
thought to improve how gut immune cells
respond to bacteria and foreign substances,
making the baby less likely to suffer from
allergies.
12. Lowers bosom cancer risk
The researchers at the Marshall University
found that a daily dose of walnuts – equal
to 2 ounces a day in humans – reduces the
growth of bosom cancer tumors in mice.
Lead researcher Elaine Hardman, Ph.D., of
Marshall's Joan C. Edwards School of
Medicine, and colleagues studied the mice
from the mother, through conception and
throughout life. They then compared mice
given walnuts to those fed a regular
diet. The research found that the group
whose diet included walnut at both stages
developed bosom cancer at less than half
the rate of the group with the typical diet. In
addition, the number of tumors and their
sizes were significantly smaller.
14. Can fight stress
If daily stress is taking a toll on your
health, it's time to eat walnuts, as they help
fight stress, according to a study. The
researchers found that including walnuts
and walnut oil in the diet lowered both
resting blood pressure and blood pressure
responses to stress in the laboratory.
Walnuts are a rich source of fibre,
antioxidants, and unsaturated fatty acids,
particularly alpha linolenic acid, an
omega-3 fatty acid.
source: nairaland.com