| Walnut - the new Superfood |
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| Categories: Soil
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| Published on: Apr 26, 2009 |
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| Last updated on: Apr 26, 2009 |
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 In an era spinach has e.coli and the fish are laced with mercury, walnuts may be emerging as the new superfood. New studies show that walnuts can help prevent or slow down this process. Natural chemicals in walnuts help prevent hardening of the arteries, making them less prone to becoming blocked.
Experimental groups eating a fatty meal were asked to follow it with either five teaspoons of olive oil or a handful of shelled walnuts. Both the olive oil and the walnuts helped prevent sudden oxidation and inflammation of the arteries. But walnuts helped more.
According to the 'British Journal of Nutrition', researchers have recently found that walnuts contain polyphenols and other antioxidants and essential fatty acids that exhibit multiple effects on neural tissue. Adding a moderate amount of walnuts to a healthy diet may help older people improve their performance on tasks that require motor and behavioural skills.
Many people avoid nuts because they think they're fattening, but nuts can make a healthy and tasty addition to your diet when eaten in moderation.
Plant-derived omega-3 fatty acids
Walnuts are one of the few rich sources of plant-derived omega-3 fatty acids, so they're great for vegetarians. Other sources include olive oil, ground flaxseed, flaxseed oild, soybeans, soy oil and wheatgerm.
They're also a great source of protein, fiber, vitamin E, magnesium and copper. Walnuts are rich in amino acids, such as arginine, which help keep the insides of blood vessels smooth and flexible.
Omega-3s benefit the cardiovascular system by helping to prevent erratic heart rhythms, making blood less likely to clot inside arteries (which is the proximate cause of most heart attacks), and improving the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to potentially harmful (LDL) cholesterol. Omega-3s also reduce inflammation, which is a key component in the processes that turn cholesterol into artery-clogging plaques.
For heart health and cholesterol levels
Walnuts contain alpha-linolenic acid, an essential fatty acid that improves heart health and cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of sudden death from abnormal heart rhythms. They are also a good source of protein and dietary fibre. In the US, packs of walnuts carry an official health endorsement from the Food and Drug Administration.
Also, as omega 3 makes skin radiant, it will make you look gorgeous. |
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