When looking for a delicious way to lower your risk of cardiovascular disease, consider adding a handful of walnuts to your daily diet. With their high omega-3 fatty acid content, they can help lower both your blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels. Both the English and black walnut make a healthy addition to your diet, but there are distinct differences between the two types.
Origins
The walnut, or English walnut, is thought to have originated in ancient Persia. It got its name in the Middle Ages when English sailors carried and traded them throughout Europe and overseas. The black walnut is native to North America. While the nut is edible, the black walnut tree is also highly valued by woodworkers for its strength and straight grain. The black walnut tree is also used to make glue and plastic.
Features
There is a distinct flavor difference between the walnut and the black walnut. The black walnut has a strong, smoky flavor and makes a better nut mixed in baked goods rather than eaten alone as a snack. The English walnut has a sweet, rich flavor with a hint of bitterness from its skin, making it a more ideal snack nut. Black walnut shells are also tougher to crack than the English shell, and also stain your skin a dark brown.
Nutrition
The nutrition content of the walnut vs. the black walnut also varies. A 1-oz. serving of the English walnut contains 185 calories, 4.3 g of protein, 18.5 g of total fat, 1.7 g of of saturated fat, 2.5 g of monounsaturated fat, 13.4 g of polyunsaturated fat, 3.9 g of carbohydrates and 1.9 g of fiber. The black walnut has 175 calories, 6.8 g of protein, 16.7 g of total fat, 1.0 g of saturated fat, 4.3 g of monounsaturated fat, 9.9 g of polyunsaturated fat, 2.8 g of carbohydrates and 1.9 g of fiber.
Benefits
In addition to its omega-3 fat content, walnuts can also lower your risk of heart disease by improving blood vessel elasticity and decreasing the accumulation of plaque along the artery walls. Walnuts can also reduce your LDL cholesterol, the bad cholesterol, and C-Reactive protein, another marker for heart disease.
Tips
Like all nuts, walnuts are a concentrated source of calories. When adding nuts to your diet for health, be sure to adjust your overall calorie intake. Eating too many calories, even those from healthy foods, can lead to weight gain. Eat a handful of walnuts as a snack instead of your usual sweet treat, or replace the cheese on your salad with some chopped walnuts.
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