Walnuts pack a mighty powerful health punch
Walnuts are prized for their delicious flavor as well as their health-promoting nutrients and unique supply of plant compounds. Here’s what you should know about the benefits of this tree nut.
The folklore
Walnuts are the oldest tree food known to man, dating to 7000 BCE. Native to ancient Persia, walnuts were so coveted that only royalty were allowed to eat them. Ancient Greeks used walnuts for food, medicine and dye for wool and cloth. They came to be called English walnuts because English merchants traded the popular nut in ports all over the world. Today, California’s Central Valley produces 99% of the commercial U.S. supply of walnuts.
The facts
English walnuts (Juglans regia) are the most popular walnut in the United States, followed by black walnuts (Juglans nigra) and white walnuts (Juglans cinerea).
English walnuts have a thinner shell and are more easily broken than the black variety, which has a more pungent flavor. The white walnut is sweeter but not as easy to find.
Walnuts are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and the only nut significantly high in omega-3 ALA, linked to several health benefits. A 1-ounce serving of walnuts (about 14 halves) packs 48% DV (daily value, based on 2,000 calories/day) of manganese and 11% of magnesium, both key players in bone health, and 22% of the essential nutrient copper.
The findings
Rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, walnuts have beneficial effects on cardiovascular risk factors, including lowering blood pressure and cholesterol.
According to a 2019 study in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the benefits are due not just to replacing saturated fatty acid diets with unsaturated fatty acids, but there are benefits to walnuts as a whole food replacement.
Another study, in the journal Nutrition Research and Practice last year, found that people with metabolic syndrome who ate 45 grams of walnuts daily for 16 weeks significantly reduced metabolic syndrome risk factors including improved HDL (“good”) cholesterol, decreased fasting glucose levels and lower blood pressure.
The finer points
Harvested from late August through November, walnuts are kept in cold storage to be available year-round. They’re available in-shell or shelled, in bulk bins and packaged whole, in halves, pieces, ground and bottled as oil. Because of their high fatty acid content, they can go rancid easily, so store them in the refrigerator or freezer.
Mix crushed walnuts into hot or cold cereals, yogurt and parfaits; sprinkle halves or pieces onto salads, sauteed vegetables and whole grain side dishes; blend into pesto, and serve over pasta or bruschetta; or keep a handful nearby for a satisfying snack.
Environmental Nutrition is the award-winning independent newsletter written by nutrition experts dedicated to providing readers up-to-date, accurate information about health and nutrition.