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A handful of walnuts a day could keep heart disease and other age-related illnesses at bay.
Study has shown that regularly snacking on the nuts cuts artery-clogging cholesterol.
Initial findings from the Walnuts and Healthy Aging (WAHA) study presented at Experimental Biology 2016 (EB) indicate that daily walnut consumption positively impacts blood cholesterol levels without adverse effects on body weight among older adults.1 The WAHA study is a dual site two-year clinical trial conducted by researchers from the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona and Loma Linda University and is aimed at determining the effect of walnuts on age-related health issues.
“Given walnuts are a high-energy food, a prevailing concern has been that their long term consumption might be associated with weight gain,” said Dr. Emilio Ros, director of the Lipid Clinic, Endocrinology & Nutrition Service at the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona.
“The preliminary results of the WAHA study demonstrate that daily consumption of walnuts for one year by a sizable cohort of aging free-living persons has no adverse effects on body weight. They also show that the well-known cholesterol-lowering effect of walnut diets works equally well in the elderly and is maintained in the long term.
Acquiring the good fats and other nutrients from walnuts while keeping adiposity at bay and reducing blood cholesterol levels are important to overall nutritional well-being of aging adults. It’s encouraging to see that eating walnuts may benefit this particular population.”
Researchers instructed 707 healthy older adults to add daily doses of walnuts (~15% of caloric intake) to their typical diet or to consume their usual diet without nuts. Participants were not given advice on total calorie and macronutrient intake or food substitution for walnuts. After one year, the study found that both diets had minimal effect on body weight, triglycerides, and HDL cholesterol. However, the walnut-diet resulted in significant LDL cholesterol reductions compared to the control, nut-free diet.
“As we continue the WAHA study, we will assess how walnut consumption may affect, among other outcomes, cognitive decline and age-related macular degeneration, conditions that were major public health concerns,” said Dr. Ros.
Nutritional Value of Walnuts
Nutritional value in walnuts includes energy of 190 cal in 1 ounce, or 30 grams, of walnuts.
Carbohydrate content in walnuts per 1 ounce is 4 grams.
Protein found in 1 ounce walnuts is 4 grams.
The total fat content found in 1 ounce of walnuts is 18 grams, which includes both unsaturated fats and saturated fats.
Dietary fiber found in walnuts is about 2 grams per ounce.
The minerals found in walnuts include calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper, manganese, and selenium.
Vitamins include vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, vitamin E, vitamin K, and vitamin A. Carotenoids found in walnuts includes beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin.
Phytosterols in walnuts are about 20 mg per 1 ounce.
How can you add walnuts into your healthy diet?
Walnuts can be integrated into your diet to gain from all the associated health benefits. A few ways to add walnuts to your meal are as follows:
Add shredded walnuts to chicken and fish right before cooking them.
Ground some walnuts and use the powder on sandwiches, salads, or any other dish.
Add chopped/shredded walnuts to desserts to add a nutty flavor to it.
Add chopped/shredded walnuts to yogurt and berries to make a healthy dessert.
To roast walnuts, use a 70-75°c oven for 15-20 minutes.
Agencies/Canadajournal
