Discover the Shocking health benefits of walnuts.

The walnut, from the Latin nux, nucis, is the fruit of the walnut tree and is characterized by its rounded shape and its rough and rigid shell. Its fruit inside is the edible part and below we will tell you its properties, health benefits, typologies, therapeutic uses of walnuts.

This food that we all know as one of the nuts, is original from Asia and its cultivation later spread to Europe and America. At present, walnuts have a world production of approximately 1.2 tons and the first producer is China.

Nutritional properties

They are considered a Superfood because they have excellent beneficial properties for health and among many of their nutritional properties are:

Vitamin E: the high content of walnut in vitamin E gives it a high antioxidant power and helps prevent the aging of our body

Potassium: the body needs this mineral to make protein, build muscle, and control the electrical activity of the heart

Polyunsaturated fatty acids: for them walnuts are so valuable for taking care of the heart and are considered the most suitable natural “medicine” to reduce coronary risks. Among these polyunsaturated fatty acids, their contribution in omega-3 stands out

Magnesium: together with potassium, the high magnesium content of walnuts (185 mg / 100 g) means that by consuming a small amount of them a day you already have the amount of magnesium recommended by experts.

Fiber: this nutrient helps reduce blood sugar levels and eliminate all waste from the body, so its consumption is essential in a healthy daily diet.

Vitamins of group B (B1, B2, B3, B6 and B9): favor the proper functioning of the nervous system, mental capacity (memory), even help to combat mild depression and the formation of kidney stones.

Phosphorus: essential for the proper formation of bones and teeth and, like the B vitamins, it favors memory.

Iron: known to all, iron prevents the appearance of anemia, strengthens the body’s immune system and improves moments of tiredness or fatigue.

Zinc: this property of walnuts will maintain good bone formation and stimulate the nervous and immune systems.

Health benefits of Walnuts

Like most nuts, the health benefits of walnuts are numerous and can surprise you with aspects that you didn’t even know about. We tell you which are the main ones and what you can improve your health by eating a small portion (about 30 grams is enough) of walnuts daily.

1. Reduce cholesterol levels

Reducing cholesterol is one of the great benefits of this organic product due to its high content of Omega 3 fatty acids of vegetable origin

2. Cardiovascular health

The fats and minerals in walnuts help prevent cardiovascular disease and have a healthy heart. Specifically, eating about 30 grams of nuts a day, of which at least half must be walnuts, reduces the risk of cardiovascular accidents by 30% according to a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

3. Good for the brain

Take care of your brain is the slogan that we could associate with the walnut, its nutritional properties improve the neuronal capacity of the body. Its neuroprotective compounds help improve cognitive and motor function of aging.

4. Energy booster

Nuts are composed of healthy fats or fats of vegetable origin , specifically the walnut contains 21 grams per 100 of product, which will provide you with extra energy in your day to day.

For athletes they can be a great contribution of energy value, it is good to take them after intense physical effort (long-term sports) because of their high content in Omega 3 and their low water content, because they help to recover after exercise.

5. Fight constipation

They also regulate intestinal transit thanks to their high fiber content and combat the dreaded constipation. You will satisfy your appetite and arrive with less anxiety to the main meals of the day

6. Improve sleep

Its content in tryptophan and vitamin B6 favor muscle relaxation, sleep, even fight insomnia. Its contribution of polyunsaturated fatty acids (such as linoleic acid) delay the appearance of sleep disorders.

7. Immune system booster

They boost the immune system , so walnuts help your body protect itself from external agents and feel better and healthier every day.

Did you know that the month of April is the month of the Nut?

Types of walnuts

We have already commented that eating nuts is beneficial for health, and more if they are organically grown.

In addition, we are going to explain what types of nuts are on the market and how each one is different.

California walnuts are one of the best known types, but this does not make them the best quality compared to some types of European walnuts.

It is large in size and regular in shape. Spain is the largest consumer of walnuts in the world and almost 80% of this consumption is of the California variety.

Pecans: this type of nut is from America, it looks like the Californian but more elongated and smooth.

It has a special aroma and a very pleasant taste, which is why it is used in the preparation of many recipes, sauces and desserts.

Castilla walnuts, due to their name, comes from European walnut or Spanish walnut and the ideal season to consume them is the autumn season.

These nuts are more antioxidant than the rest of the types and we recommend that you eat them unroasted, naturally.

Cedar nuts. It is the most exotic type of all, it comes from Russia and they are good for your health because they reduce the amount of LDL cholesterol. They are composed of 70% of the essential amino acids that the body needs.

Therapeutic uses of walnuts

Walnuts have, among all their beneficial characteristics for the body, a series of therapeutic uses that can help to partially counteract the symptoms of some ailments or diseases as we tell you now.

Organic nuts are rich in vegetable fats, fibers and magnesium and have a low glycemic index, therefore, they are beneficial to reduce the risks of type 2 diabetes .

Eating a healthy diet and adding the consumption of organic or organic nuts daily, of course under the supervision of your doctor, can help delay or reduce the onset of diabetes.

Did you know that including 9 nuts a day in your diet can have calming effects on your body?

Yes, the Omega 3 fatty acids contained in the walnut have beneficial effects on blood pressure.

Therefore, its moderate daily consumption calms states of stress , anxiety and nervousness, since they reduce blood pressure.

They are the best natural “treatment” for the heart and if they are organic you are also taking a 100% healthy product.

Include walnuts in your usual consumption as they reduce the appearance of cardiovascular diseases such as: arteriosclerosis, hypertension, myocardial infarction or angina pectoris.

They are indicated for states of lack of energy, forgetfulness or even Alzheimer’s symptoms, since they help to slow down the aging of global cognitive capacity and memory loss because they are a source of fiber and antioxidants.

The consumption of nuts during pregnancy is very beneficial because its nutrients: fiber, calcium, sodium, phosphorus, folic acid,… help reduce the risk of spina bifida in the fetus.

In addition, its calming and relaxing effect help the pregnant woman to improve intestinal transit and lower blood pressure.

Walnuts in the kitchen

We are not going to forget the gastronomic use of walnuts in our diet. Nuts should be part of the fundamental foods for their contribution of nutritional and beneficial properties for the body.

For this reason, there are many and different ways to include the walnut in our daily kitchen, we are going to review them.

Generally its consumption is done raw, alone or accompanied by other products such as yogurt, cheese or other nuts. But nuts are ideal to include in thousands of recipes, sauces or desserts.

There are other culinary uses for walnut, such as walnut oil. It is not an oil to use, but is consumed raw, it would not serve you to fry or cook other foods. But it can be used for dressings or as an ingredient in recipes or more elaborate dishes.

Appetizers are usually the perfect complement to arrive without anxiety at mealtime. And walnuts, due to their high content of healthy nutrients for the body, become the ideal snack to take without neglecting your body or your health.

We hope the article on the Shocking health benefits of walnuts has been of help.