13 Proven Health Benefits of Walnuts - Benefits of Walnuts -Rich in Antioxidants - Super Plsnt Source Of Omega 3s - May Decrease Inflammation - Promote a healthy gut-May reduce risk of some cancers-Support weight management-May help manage and lower your risk for type 2 diabetes-May help lower blood pressure-Support healthy aging-Support good brain function-Support reproductive health in people with sperm- Improve blood fat levels-Widely available and easy to add to your diet
Nuts are a tasty, convenient treat that can be enjoyed on all kinds of diets from keto to vegan. Despite being high in fat, they have many impressive health and weight benefits. Here are the top 8 health benefits of eating nuts.
A walnut is the edible seed of any tree of the genus Juglans (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, Juglans regia. They are accessory fruit because the outer covering of the fruit is technically an involucre and thus not morphologically part of the carpel; this means it cannot be a drupe but is instead a drupe-like nut.
After full ripening, the shell is discarded, and the kernel is eaten. Nuts of the eastern black walnut (Juglans nigra) and butternuts (Juglans cinerea) are less commonly consumed.
Description
Walnuts are the round, single-seed stone fruits of the walnut tree. They ripen between September and November in the northern hemisphere. The brown, wrinkly walnut shell is enclosed in a husk.[1] Shells of walnuts available in commerce usually have two segments (but three or four-segment shells can also form). During the ripening process, the husk becomes brittle and the shell hard. The shell encloses the kernel or meat, which is usually in two halves separated by a membranous partition.The seed kernels – commonly available as shelled walnuts – are enclosed in a brown seed coat which contains antioxidants. The antioxidants protect the oil-rich seed from atmospheric oxygen, preventing rancidity.
Walnut trees are late to grow leaves, typically not doing so until more than halfway through the spring.
Chemistry
Walnut hulls contain diverse phytochemicals, such as polyphenols, that stain hands and can cause skin irritation. Seven phenolic compounds, including ferulic acid, vanillic acid, coumaric acid, syringic acid, myricetin, and juglone, were identified in walnut husks; juglone had concentrations of 2-4% fresh weight.[3]
Walnuts also contain the ellagitannin, pedunculagin.[4] Regiolone has been isolated with juglone, betulinic acid and sitosterol from the stem bark of J. regia
Nutrition
 Walnut kernel, halves | |||
| Nutritional value per 100 grams | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 2,738 kJ (654 kcal) | ||
13.71 g | |||
| Starch | 0.06 g | ||
| Sugars | 2.61 g | ||
| Dietary fiber | 6.7 g | ||
65.21 g | |||
| Saturated | 6.126 g | ||
| Monounsaturated | 8.933 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated | 47.174 g 9 g 38 g | ||
15.23 g | |||
| |||
| Other constituents | Quantity | ||
| Water | 4.07 g | ||
| †Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[16] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[17] | |||
English walnuts without shells are 4% water, 15% protein, 65% fat, and 14% carbohydrates, including 7% dietary fiber (table). In a reference amount of 100 g (3.5 oz), walnuts provide 654 kilocalories (2,740 kJ) and rich contents (20% or more of the Daily Value, DV) of several dietary minerals, particularly manganese at 148% DV, along with significant amounts of B vitamins (table).
Unlike most nuts, which are high in monounsaturated fatty acids, walnut oil is composed largely of polyunsaturated fatty acids (72% of total fats), particularly alpha-linolenic acid (14%) and linoleic acid (58%), although it does contain oleic acid as 13% of total fats (table source
To say that walnuts are a nutritious food is a bit of an understatement.
Walnuts provide healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals — and that’s just the beginning of how they may support your health.
In fact, there’s so much interest in this one nut that scientists and industry experts have gathered annually for the past 50 years at the University of California, Davis, for a walnut conference to discuss the latest walnut health research.
The most common variety of walnut is the English walnut (Juglans regia), which is also the most studied type.
Here are 13 science-based health benefits of walnuts.
Walnuts have greater antioxidant activity than any other common nut.
This activity comes from vitamin E, melatonin, and plant compounds called
A 2022 study in healthy adults over age 60 showed that eating a walnut-rich meal reduced the participants’ levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol.
If LDL cholesterol builds up in your arteries, it can cause
SummaryWalnuts are an excellent source of antioxidants that can help lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol level.
Walnuts are significantly higher in omega-3 fatty acids than any other nut,
Omega-3 fats from plants, including walnuts, is called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). It’s an essential fat, which means you have to get it from your diet.
According to the Institute of Medicine, an adequate intake of ALA is 1.6 g per day for men and 1.1 g per day for women. A
SummaryWalnuts are a good source of the plant form of omega-3 fat, which may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and conditions.
- heart disease
- type 2 diabetes
- Alzheimer’s disease
- cancer
The polyphenols in walnuts can help fight oxidative stress and inflammation.
A subgroup of polyphenols called
Beneficial bacteria in your gut convert ellagitannins to compounds called urolithins, which have been found to protect against inflammation.
ALA, omega-3 fats, magnesium, and the amino acid arginine — all of which are found in walnuts — may also decrease inflammation.
SummarySeveral plant compounds and nutrients in walnuts may help decrease inflammation, which is a key culprit in many chronic conditions.
Studies suggest that if your gut is rich in health-promoting bacteria and other microbes (your gut microbiota), you’re more likely to have a healthy gut and good overall health.
An unhealthy composition of gut microbiota
What you eat can significantly influence the makeup of your microbiota. Eating walnuts may be one way to support the health of your microbiota and your gut.
In a
This included an increase in bacteria that produce butyrate, a fat that nourishes your gut and promotes gut health.
SummaryEating walnuts nourishes both you and the beneficial bacteria that live in your gut. This promotes gut health and may help reduce the risk of obesity, heart disease, and cancer.
Animal and a few human studies suggest that eating walnuts may reduce your risk of certain cancers, including breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer.
As noted earlier, walnuts are rich in polyphenols called ellagitannins. Certain gut microbes can convert these to compounds called urolithins.
Urolithins can have anti-inflammatory properties in your gut, which may be one way that eating walnuts helps protect against colorectal cancer. These anti-inflammatory actions could also help protect against other cancers.
What’s more, urolithins have hormone-like properties that enable them to block hormone receptors in your body. This may help reduce your risk of hormone-related cancers, especially breast and prostate cancers.
But more human studies are needed to determine the effects of eating walnuts on the risk of these and other cancers.
SummaryThe polyphenols in walnuts may reduce your risk of certain cancers, including breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers. However, more human studies are needed to learn more about this.
Walnuts are calorie-dense, but a small 2016 study suggests that your body absorbs 21% less energy from them than would be expected based on their nutrients.
What’s more, eating walnuts may help regulate your appetite.
A
Additionally, after 5 days of consuming the walnut smoothies, brain scans showed that the participants had increased activation in a region of the brain that helped them resist highly tempting food cues, such as cake and french fries.
Even though larger and longer-term studies are needed, this provides some initial insight into how walnuts may help regulate appetite and weight.
SummaryThough walnuts are calorie-dense, you may not absorb all the calories they contain. Additionally, they may help regulate your appetite.
Observational studies suggest that one reason walnuts are linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes is that they help manage weight.
Excess weight increases your risk of high blood sugar and diabetes.
Eating walnuts may help regulate blood sugar by mechanisms beyond their influence on weight management.
In a small
This resulted in an 8% decrease in fasting blood sugar.
Additionally, the walnut oil users had about an 8% decrease in hemoglobin A1C (3-month average blood sugar).
The control group showed no improvement in A1C or fasting blood sugar. Neither group had a change in their weight.
Some other
However, it’s important to keep in mind that consuming walnut oil is not the same as eating whole walnuts.
SummaryConsuming walnut oil and walnuts may help manage type 2 diabetes and reduce your risk of the disease by helping to regulate your weight. Walnuts might have more direct effects on blood sugar regulation as well.
High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
A small
Additionally, the authors of a 2019 research review examined the effects of a Mediterranean diet, which often involves consumption of walnuts and other nuts. They concluded that following the Mediterranean diet may help lower blood pressure in some people.
This suggests that nuts may slightly improve the blood pressure benefits of a heart-healthy diet. Even small differences in blood pressure are thought to have a big impact on your risk of heart disease.
SummarySome studies suggest that eating nuts, including walnuts, daily as part of a heart-healthy diet may help improve blood pressure.
As you age, good physical functioning is essential for maintaining your mobility and independence.
One thing that may help you maintain your physical abilities is healthy eating habits.
In an observational
Walnuts were among the foods that made the strongest contribution to a healthy diet.
Though relatively high in calories, walnuts are packed with essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, fats, and plant compounds that may help support good physical functioning as you age.
SummaryA healthy diet that includes walnuts may help preserve physical function, such as walking and self-care abilities, as you age.
It may be just a coincidence that the shell of a walnut looks like a tiny brain, but research suggests that this nut may indeed be good for your mind.
Animal and human
A
Additionally, a
Though these results are encouraging, more studies on the effects of walnuts on brain function in humans are needed before researchers can draw firm conclusions.
SummaryWalnuts contain nutrients that may help protect your brain from damaging inflammation and support good brain function as you age.
Typical Western diets — high in processed foods, sugar, and refined grains — have been linked to
Eating walnuts may help support sperm health and male fertility.
In a 2012 study involving 117 healthy young men, participants who ate 2.5 oz (75 g) of walnuts per day for 3 months as part of a Western-style diet had improved sperm shape, vitality and motility compared to those who did not eat nuts.
Further studies are needed to learn more about these benefits. But if you have concerns about fertility and sperm function, eating walnuts is a simple thing to try.
SummaryEating walnuts regularly may help counteract potentially harmful effects of less-than-ideal eating habits on sperm health.
Elevated levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides have long been linked to an increased heart disease risk.
Regularly eating walnuts has been consistently shown to
In a small
The walnut eaters also had nearly a 6% decrease in apolipoprotein B, which is an indicator of how many LDL particles are in your blood. Elevated apolipoprotein B is a major risk factor for heart disease.
SummaryA daily 1.5-oz (43-g) serving of walnuts may help lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which contribute to heart disease risk.
You can find walnuts in any grocery store. Check for raw walnuts in the baking aisle, roasted walnuts in the nut aisle, and cold-pressed walnut oil in the specialty oils section.
It’s helpful to understand how to convert the serving sizes used in studies so that you know how your portion sizes compare.
The following
- 1 oz shelled walnuts = 28 g = 1/4 cup = 12–14 halves = 1 small handful
Though it’s simplest to eat walnuts one by one as a snack, there are plenty of tasty ways to use them in dishes.
You can try walnuts:
- sprinkled on leafy green or fruit salads.
- finely ground in dips and sauces
- chopped and used in whole grain breads and scones
- crushed to use as a coating on fish or chicken
- served atop oatmeal or yogurt
- chopped and added to wraps or pita sandwiches
- roasted and added to a homemade trail mix
- lightly browned in your favorite stir-fry recipe
- roasted or chopped on pasta or vegetables
- as an oil in a vinaigrette dressing
You may also want to scour the internet for tasty recipe ideas.
If you’re cooking for guests, make sure no one is allergic to walnuts before adding them to your dishes.
SummaryWalnuts are easy to add to your diet since they’re widely available in stores and a great addition to countless dishes. Just be wary of any nut allergies.
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