Apart from eating several walnuts a day, find out what else you can eat to improve your cardiac health.
Walnuts May Help Reduce Hypertension
Magnesium, potassium, and omega-3 fatty acids in walnuts all play a role in helping to lower blood pressure.
Walnuts also contain significant levels of melatonin – a hormone in blood that is related to blood pressure. Scientists have found that regularly consuming a few walnuts increases levels of melatonin in the blood. This has both an antioxidant effect and helps to lower blood pressure. (23)
The International Journal of Molecular Sciences reported that melatonin helps regulate blood pressure. The ability to lower hypertension is due to the positive effect that melatonin has on the central nervous system. (24)
Learn about other home remedies that have been proven to lower blood pressure.
Walnuts Have Compounds That May Lower Cholesterol
Another reason why walnuts are classed as “heart healthy nuts” is that they help lower cholesterol in the blood.
One randomized controlled trial found that a walnut-enriched diet resulted in a decrease of cholesterol levels. 134 women took 43 g of walnuts per day. At the end of 8 weeks, scientists noticed a significant reduction in fasting cholesterol. (25)
A systematic review of 13 scientific studies on the effects of walnuts on cholesterol also found positive results. Consuming more walnuts in the diet results in lower LDL (or, “bad”) cholesterol levels. Also, increasing the intake of walnuts didn’t result in an increase in body mass. (26)
Discover other effective ways to lower cholesterol naturally without drugs.
Walnuts Can Help to Improve Gut Microbiota
Another reason why walnuts are good for you is that they improve your gastrointestinal health.
The Journal of Nutrition in 2018 published results of a randomized controlled trial on the benefits of walnuts for your gut health. Participants consumed 42 g of walnuts for a 2-week period. Tests on gut microbiota revealed that walnuts helped to increase good gut bacteria. (27)
Did you know that you can take probiotics to help revolutionize your health?
Walnuts Have Anti-Inflammatory Properties
The high levels of polyphenols contained in raw walnuts mean that they are a good nut to help reduce inflammation.
Chronic inflammation has been linked to many diseases like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
Researchers have found that eating walnuts causes a type of tannin (ellagitannin) to be released that has anti-inflammatory properties. Many studies have shown that these antioxidants in walnuts have a protective effect against heart disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. (28)
Other studies have shown that the high levels of both omega-3 and antioxidants make walnuts one of the best nuts for reducing inflammation. Raw walnuts and roasted walnuts have some of the highest antioxidant levels when compared with other tree nuts. (29)
Research has also shown that eating more nuts such as walnuts help to reduce inflammatory markers in the blood. (30)
Find out about other foods that help lower inflammation and what foods to eat and to avoid if you have arthritis.
Eating Walnuts May Help You Lose Weight Faster
Because walnuts are high in antioxidants and help improve your metabolic health, walnuts can help you lose weight faster.
Many people tend to shy away from nuts such as walnuts because of their high fat and calorie content.
One study found that using walnuts as a healthy energy source helped boost the effects of a weight-loss diet. The study found that both a standard weight-loss diet and a weight-loss diet enriched with walnuts helped participants lose weight. However, consuming walnuts had a better effect on lowering LDL cholesterol and reducing blood pressure. (31)
Dr. Vinson (mentioned earlier) points out that fats from nuts are polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats that are healthy and important for the body’s function. They mustn’t be mistaken for the unhealthy fats that clog the arteries and are connected with chronic diseases and weight gain.
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