Health benefits of walnuts: Here's why you should eat them
Walnuts are single-seeded stone fruits that offer a lot of health benefits. The fruit of the walnut tree provides abundant protein, fiber, healthy fats, and other vital nutrients. Walnuts are known to uplift heart, bone, and brain health. What's more? These wrinkly fruits can be great for people suffering from weight management issues. Here are top five health benefits of eating walnuts.
Walnuts are a great vegan source of omega-3 fatty acids
Over the past few decades, omega-3 fatty acids have gained much attention because of their ability to improve cardiovascular functioning. Further, they can help lower the risk of arthritis and certain types of cancer. Good news is that walnuts happen to be an easy, vegan source of omega-3s. Other than walnuts, fish also come with this essential fatty acid.
Walnuts are great for brain health
Even resembling a human brain in their shape, walnuts contain important phytochemicals and plenty of polyunsaturated fats, both of which are great for enhancing brain health and its function. Furthermore, the presence of omega-3 plays an important role in reducing oxidative stress. In fact, the good fats and other nutrients in walnuts such as vitamin E, folate and ellagic acid can improve memory function.
Walnuts may uplift heart health
The most important benefit of omega-3 fatty acids is that they can significantly help in improving heart health. Furthermore, walnuts also come with amino acid l-arginine and mono-unsaturated fatty acids such as oleic acid. Therefore, adding this nut in your daily diet can push away the risk of coronary heart diseases, and lead to a healthy lipid supply.
Walnuts are also rich in antioxidants
In comparison to other common nuts, walnuts have a much higher antioxidant activity. It is because of the presence of nutrients such as vitamin E, melatonin and polyphenols. A study conducted on healthy adults showed that walnut consumption prevented oxidative damage of bad cholesterol (which is prone to build up in our arteries, thereby resulting in atherosclerosis).
Walnuts can help boost reproductive health
Although today, there are many advanced solutions to fix reproductive health issues, research shows that consuming walnuts can help too. Studies have proved that consuming walnuts regularly can improve sperm quality (vitality, movement and form), in men. On the other hand, pregnant ladies can lower their risk of developing gestational diabetes by consuming walnuts every day, as shown by a study published in 2019.
