You can add walnuts to almost every meal for flavor and health benefits. They are high in omega-3 fatty acids and are an excellent source of vitamin B6, folate, zinc, magnesium, manganese, copper and selenium. Adding an ounce of walnuts to each meal a day can help boost your immune system and maintain cellular health and functions. You can eat walnuts by themselves in their natural state or add crushed walnuts to yogurt, ice cream, salads and fruit smoothies.
Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
According to World's Healthiest Foods, which is a non-profit organization that promotes healthy eating and cooking, walnuts contain a rich source of monounsaturated fat that reduces low-density lipoproteins (LDL), which cause heart attacks and atherosclerosis. The omega-3 fatty acids in walnuts increase high-density lipoproteins (HDL) that remove cholesterol from your arteries. When you combine walnuts with other nuts, seeds and fruits as part of your daily snacks, you give yourself a huge defense against cardiovascular diseases--especially after you eat a high-fat meal.
Anti-inflammation
Walnuts contain alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which reduces inflammation in joints and arteries that contain high levels of LDLs. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, ALAs helps you decrease the symptoms of asthma, arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. Eating a 3/4 cup of walnuts can help you reduce these symptoms, however, distribute the amount over the day rather than eating the entire serving in one sitting.
Appetite
Eating walnuts and other nuts and seeds can help you curb your appetite and avoid overeating, thus lowering cholesterol. Although walnuts are high in calories--50 grams of walnuts contain 325 calories--they contain many healthy vitamins and minerals that you body can use to fight disease and improve cell health.
References
- "WhFoods.org"; Walnuts
- "Perspectives in Nutrition"; Gordon Wardlaw and Margaret Kessel; 2002
- "University of Maryland Medical Center"; Alpha-linolenic Acid
