Walnut, genus Juglans is a from the tree nut family Juglandaceae or English walnut, genus Juglans regia. Walnut, whose seed are edible, is in the same family with Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts (filberts), macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios among others. Walnut has a dozen health benefits as explained in this article.
Benefit 1: Weight loss weight
Many people mistakenly relate all nuts (walnut included) with weigh gain. Walnuts in fact are rich in omega 3 fats, proteins and fiber. It provides satiety and hence an important tool for weight management.
Benefit 2: Fights Insomnia
Walnut contains a hormone melatonin which assists in regulating sleep. As such, walnut is the favourite bedtime snack.
Benefit 3: Hair Health
The biotin (vitamin B7) in walnut helps in strengthening as well as reduction in hair loss. Walnut is one of the best foods for a healthy hair.
Benefit 4: Cardiovascular Health
Walnuts are laden with antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids, both of which are useful in fighting heart diseases such as stroke and heart failure. In particular, the omega-3 fatty acids help fight Low Density Lipoprotein (LPD) a while at the same time promoting production of High Density Lipoprotein.
Benefit 5: Prevents Diabetes
A study conducted found that walnut helps combat type 2 diabetes. The study showed that walnut reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes in women by 24%.
Benefit 6: Enhances Sperm Quality
For men with low sperm quality, consuming 2.5 ounces everyday will improve their semen quality. It has been observed that intake of 75 grams of walnut improves vitality, motility as well as the morphology of the sperm especially in men in the 21-35 age bracket.
Benefit 7: Makes your Skin Glow
Walnuts contains vitamin B and as well as antioxidants which protects the skin from free radical attack as well as slowing aging by preventing formation of wrinkles.
Benefit 8: Fights Dementia
It has been found that consuming walnuts everyday can help keep at bay potential dementia by destroying free radicals. Free radicals are responsible for causing dementia.
Benefit 9: Prevents pancreatic cancer
Consumption of walnut lowers the risks associated with pancreatic cancer. This was found through a research on those who consumed walnut and those who did not. It was found that walnut reduced the risk of suffering from the disease.
Benefit 10: Walnut and Longevity
It is true that walnut lengthens your life. Consumption of walnuts a minimum of three times a week was found to have a profound effect on ones longevity. The seeds were found to reduce the risk of death from cancer by 40% and 55% from heart diseases. 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
Benefit 11: Stress Buster
There exist a strong link between consumption and reduced stress. These results from the fact that walnut consumption helps reduce resting blood pressure as well as blood pressure reaction to stress. Walnuts are laden with fibre, antioxidants, fatty acids acids (unsaturated ones), omega-3 fatty acids, all of which are vital for combating stress.
Photo Credit : J.Dncsn via Creative Commons
