Going Nuts over Walnut

Walnuts is considered as one of the 14 ‘Super Foods’ available to mankind. This feature provides an insight into what makes walnuts enjoy such a unique place amongst everything palatable.

This nut is said to be packed with health and nutrition to the brim and often makes one wonder if the tall claims made by dieticians and nutrition experts are indeed true.

Let us understand how this little nut can have such a profound effect on the human body and if the nut can actually be helpful in improve the quality of our arteries, raise the levels of healthy cholesterol, assist in counteracting the harmful effects of oxidation, facilitate brain development, help prevent cancerdefine and so on…

Walnuts’ Relation with your Arteries and Heart

The human arteries are lined with endothelial cells, which have a tendency to harden up when injured. The injury might be caused as a result of abrasion from drug / cigarette abuse. Once injured, the cells begin the process of accumulating cholesterol and white blood cells, resulting in the formation of plaque in the arterydefine.

This plaque might get enlarged with the passage of time and eventually result into a blockage in the blood flow through the arteries, resulting in a heart attack. When the arteries leading to the brain are blocked, the result is a stroke.

One easy way of improving your arteries and heart is to add plenty of walnuts to your diet. Walnuts happen to be an important source of monounsaturated fats. Nearly 15 percent of walnut fat is in fact the healthy monounsaturated fat which has been shown, through years of research, to have a positive effect in minimizing cardiovascular risk factors.

Walnuts are also the best source, available on planet Earth, of omega-3 essential fatty acids. Omega-3s benefit the heart by preventing erratic heart rhythms by reducing the probability of causing blood clots inside arteries, thus avoiding strokes and other heart related problems.

Walnuts are ideal for a Good Night’s Sleep

If you are a patient of insomnia, or are too stressed out to get a proper night’s sleep, try some recipes garnished with a generous amount of walnuts, such as green salads or baked apples, and enjoy an uninterrupted sleep.

Melatonin is the hormone responsible for inducing and regulating our sleep. This hormone is present in walnuts in the bio-available form, making walnuts the most appropriate food during dinner. The Melatonin present in walnuts is also a natural antioxidant.

Walnuts for Those Suffering from Type 2 Diabetesdefine

Having an ounce of walnuts every day tends to have a positive impact on the cholesterol profile and since cholesterol is directly linked to type 2 diabetes, it is also believed to be helpful in avoiding the ill effects of cholesterol on the health of those suffering from type 2 diabetes.

Walnuts when eaten as a part of a low saturated fat and low cholesterol diet, can significantly reduce LDL or bad cholesterol while preserving levels of HDL or good cholesterol. Walnuts are also held responsible for increasing the size of LDL particle. Larger LDL particles are beneficial as large and fluffy LDL particles are less likely to clog arteries than the small dense ones.

The most likely explanation of these benefits presented by walnuts, is the presence of an ideal combination of omega-3 fatty acids, alpha-linolenic acid, heavy doses of the antioxidantsdefine including at least 16 antioxidant phenols, vitamin E, ellagic and gallic acid.

Walnuts Are Capable of Preventing Cancer

Walnuts are known to contain a number of antioxidants such as melatonin, ellagic acid, gamma-tocopherol, carotenoids, and polyphenolic compounds, which are helpful in preventing cancer by offsetting the harmful effects of the process of oxidation.

Our body is capable of handling a certain level of oxidation naturally; however, it becomes a problem when the level of oxidation taking place in the body far exceeds the level that can be naturally dealt with. Such an oxidative stress can be a result of an over exposure to pollutants, cigarette smoke or sunlight.

The best way to combat the ill effects of oxidative stress is to consume an antioxidant-rich food such as walnuts. Walnuts have been found to be world’s richest source of antioxidants, second only to rose hips.

Walnuts are Good for Brain

Walnuts don’t simply resemble the human brain in their appearance but are an ultimate food for brain enhancement too. The Omega-3 found in walnuts is just the kind of fat the brain cells require for their optimal functioning.

The cell membranes of the brain-cell act like gatekeepers of the cell and regulate all that tries to make its way into the cell. It is only fluids that can get entry into the cells and Omega-3, being in the fluid and flexible form make the entry of fats extremely easy, thus maximizing the cell's ability to usher in nutrients.

Walnuts’ Other Benefits

Well that’s not the end to the benefits of eating walnuts. Walnuts are also a very good source of manganese and copper, the minerals that are vital cofactors in scores of antioxidant enzymes that help in detoxifying the body. The oxidative enzyme, ‘superoxide dismutase’, produced by cytoplasm and mitochondria, need both copper and manganese to perform their function of providing the body with antioxidant defense.

The benefits of walnuts are being recognized the world over by renowned nutritional experts and dieticians. Now that even FDA has recognized the goodness of this super food, you are free to drive yourself nuts having it.