Walnuts turn out to be valuable

On the HBO “hit” series “The Sopranos,” Paulie Gualtieri (Tony Sirico) hijacks a truck that he thinks is filled with TV sets. Unfortunately for him, it’s packed with walnuts. His associates, including Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), won’t let him forget it, so he’s stuck with the nickname, Paulie Walnuts.

But if you were lucky enough to get ahold of a truckload of walnuts, you’d have yourself some truly valuable property!

Walnuts contain 2.5 grams of the omega-3 fatty acid ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) per ounce—the largest amount, by far, of this healthy fat in any nut. Clinical studies show that it helps protect you against heart disease, cancer, inflammation, diabetes, joint woes, osteoporosis and more. Plus, walnuts have a very high ratio of omega-3s to omega-6s, which is good because the American diet is overloaded with omega-6s, and that seems to contribute to obesity.

And now a new study in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry shows another powerful benefit of eating walnuts: They change your gut biome for the better. In a lab, researchers saw that animals eating walnuts daily had an increase in probiotic-type bacteria, including lactobacillus, and a reduction of bacteria that often are overly abundant in the gut because of poor eating habits, which also are linked to obesity.

So for a quick upgrade to your overall health, eat between 12 to 14 walnut halves a day. We do. (Mehmet likes them soaked; Mike likes them roasted.) Toss them in salads, add to casseroles and enjoy as a quick snack!

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into “The Dr. Oz Show” or visit www. sharecare.com.