Walnuts are increasingly popular, but many people do not know how to eat walnuts to get the most health benefits.
1. Nutritional value of walnuts
Walnuts are nuts that contain many vitamins, minerals, fiber and polyphenols, which are nutrients that are beneficial to health.
According to nutritional analysis, a serving of walnuts (about 7 whole walnuts) or 28g of walnuts contains:
- Calories: 183
- Fat: 18g
- Sodium: 0.6mg
- Carbohydrates: 3.8g
- Fiber: 1.9g
- Sugar: 0.7g
- Protein: 4.3g
- Magnesium: 44.9mg
- Vitamin B6: 0.2mg
- Folate: 27.8mcg
Walnuts contain many nutrients that are beneficial to health.
Research shows that a diet that includes walnuts can help lower levels of bad LDL cholesterol. Researchers found that eating about half a cup of raw walnuts a day can significantly reduce LDL cholesterol.
Eating walnuts also contributes to gut health by promoting probiotic and butyric acid-producing bacteria in the gut, which are important components for gut health.
In clinical trials, healthy adults who followed a Mediterranean diet supplemented with mixed nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, and almonds) daily showed better cognitive function than a control group on a low-fat diet.
Walnuts are also beneficial for people with diabetes because they are low in carbohydrates and contain healthy fats, fiber, and protein, a trio of nutrients that can increase feelings of fullness and help maintain stable blood sugar levels.
2. Walnuts contain the most healthy fats
In general, nuts contain a relatively large amount of fat. Of these, walnuts and macadamia nuts are the nuts with the highest calorie density. This is mainly due to their high fat content.
Walnuts are not only rich in protein and antioxidants, but are also rich in the omega-3 fatty acid ALA (ALA is mainly found in plants), with 2.5g of omega-3 in a 28g serving.
Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat that is an important part of cell membranes throughout the body and affects the function of cell receptors in these membranes. The outstanding benefit of omega-3 fats is their anti-inflammatory properties, which help reduce the risk of heart disease while supporting immunity.
The fatty acids contained in nuts are mainly unsaturated fatty acids. These fatty acids are important for the human body because they have anti-inflammatory effects and protect the body’s cell membranes. Therefore, they are considered healthy fat foods, helping to reduce inflammation and improve heart and brain health.
3. The healthiest way to eat walnuts
– Choose raw walnuts: You should choose to buy round walnuts, with intact shells, not broken, not wormy, moldy. The nuts are even, firm, and heavy. Delicious walnuts are walnuts with full kernels, close to the shell, the kernel of a full walnut will be heavier than a shrunken walnut.
– Choose walnut kernels: Choose walnut kernels that are plump, fat, firm, with intact silk shells, and not shrunken at the top. Gently bite the walnut kernel to see if it is crispy, not soft, limp, not wet or oily.
Walnut salad.
– How to eat: When eating walnuts, the simplest way is to crack the shell and eat the kernel directly. In addition, you can roast or bake the shell and then crack the kernel to eat. Walnuts are also often used as an ingredient to make nut milk, smoothies, cakes, mixed cereals, salads, etc., which are very delicious. In addition, using walnut oil is also a healthy food.
– Do not eat too much: nuts contain many nutrients that are good for health and the cardiovascular system. However, we should not eat too much because the body needs a diverse and balanced source of nutrition from foods. Eating too many high-calorie nuts such as walnuts will also cause weight gain.
– Who should not eat walnuts?: Walnuts are one of the nuts that easily cause allergies. Therefore, people who are allergic to nuts should not eat walnuts. Additionally, people with a history of nut allergies should carefully review the nut content on labels of processed foods, butters, and oils.
