34
&
FOOD
August 2015 | Read this issue and more at www.healthandwellnessmagazine.net |
Like us
@healthykentucky
GO A LITTLE
NUTS. OK, A
LOTTA NUTS
By Tanya Tyler,
Editor/Writer
Health experts and
dieticians are always
telling us to eat more
nuts. According to
these experts, we should eat about
one ounce of tree nuts a day to
gain significant benefits. Nuts are a
simple, tasty way to get some vital
nutrients, and they’re so handy and
versatile. You can eat them raw or in
a salad or in once-in-a-while indulgences such as cookies.
One of the tastiest nuts you can
find are walnuts. The three main
types of walnuts are the English or
Persian walnut; the black walnut;
and the white or butternut walnut.
Walnut trees have been cultivated
for thousands of years – they are the
Some studies
appear to show
eating walnuts can
help with memory
and enhance
cognitive and motor
functions.
Walnuts
oldest tree food known to humankind – although the different types
have different origins. The Romans
introduced the walnut into many
European countries. The English
walnut, for example, originated in
India and the regions surrounding the Caspian Sea; that’s why it’s
also known as the Persian walnut.
Black walnuts and white walnuts are
native to North America, specifically
the Central Mississippi Valley and
Appalachian area. China is the largest commercial producer of walnuts
in the world; the United States is
second.
Walnuts contain a high level of a
particular form of vitamin E that has
been found to provide significant
protection from heart problems.
Some phytonutrients in walnuts are
found in almost no other food we
commonly eat. The antioxidants
and anti-inflammatory properties in
walnuts protect against metabolic
syndrome, cardiovascular problems
and type 2 diabetes. They may also
reduce risk of certain cancers, such
as prostate cancer and breast cancer.
According to one study on mice, just
two handfuls of walnuts a day cut
breast cancer risk in half and slowed
tumor growth by 50 percent as well.
Eating walnuts may help strengthen
bone health. You’ll have to eat up
to 4 ounces of walnuts to get the
benefits, however. (One ounce
equals about seven shelled walnuts.)
Walnuts can also help control cholesterol levels. Be sure to eat the skin
of the walnut. Although it may taste
bitter, it has certain beneficial phenolic acids, tannins and flavonoids.
It’s believed up to 90 percent of the
antioxidants in walnuts are found
in the skin. In addition to these
boosters, walnuts also contain hearthealthy monounsaturated fats, and
they have the highly touted omega-3
fatty acids. A quarter cup of walnuts
will provide more than 100 percent
of the daily recommended value of
plant-based omega-3 fats.
Some studies appear to show eating walnuts can help with memory
and enhance cognitive and motor
functions. This is quite appropriate
because in ancient times, walnuts
were regarded as a symbol of the
intellect because their shells resemble the human brain. According to
CBS News, researchers at the David
Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
found that adults who consumed
walnuts showed consistently greater
cognitive function than those who
did not. And they didn’t have to eat
a whole lot of walnuts, just about 3
grams. Walnuts contain neuroprotective compounds that support brain
health. So don’t forget to eat your
walnuts.