Nuts, including walnuts, are among the healthiest foods you can eat. They are packed full of vitamins, minerals, fibre, healthy fats that may support your health in various ways. They are also rich in antioxidants that can help with weight management as well as fight and prevent disease. According to a new study, eating a handful of walnuts everyday may help lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Researchers from Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) in the US examined the effects of replacing some of the saturated fats with walnuts in participants’ diets. The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, found that participants had lower central blood pressure when they ate whole walnuts daily in combination with lower amounts of saturated fat.
“When participants ate whole walnuts, they saw greater benefits than when they consumed a diet with a similar fatty acid profile as walnuts without eating the nut itself,” Penny Kris-Etherton, Distinguished Professor of Nutrition at Penn State, said in a statement.
Supports weight loss: Eating walnuts can help control appetite and hunger, which may aid weight loss. Although walnuts are calorie-dense, your body may not absorb all of the calories in this food. Also, a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that women who reported rarely including nuts in their diet had a greater incidence of weight gain compared to those who consumed nuts two times or more a week.
Reduces the risk of some cancers: Studies on test-tube, animal and humans have shown that polyphenols in walnuts may reduce the risk of developing certain cancers – such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, and colorectal cancer, etc. However, more research is needed to confirm the effects of eating walnuts on lowering the risk of cancer.
Controls type 2 diabetes: Eating walnuts may help manage high blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, as well as reduce the risk of the disease by aiding weight loss and weight management.
Good for brain: Walnuts contain nutrients such as vitamin E, polyunsaturated fat, and polyphenols that may help reduce oxidative damage and inflammation in your brain. Observational studies in older adults have associated eating walnuts with better brain function.
The Sci-Fi 