When it comes to walnuts, many people can still recall the scene from their childhood of eating them before exams to "nourish the brain." In fact, these small nuts not only boost brain power and enhance beauty, but the latest research has also found that regular consumption of walnuts can lower human cholesterol and protect cardiovascular health.
1. Reducing the risk of breast cancer
A study by the Marshall University School of Medicine in West Virginia showed that experimental mice that ate 2 ounces (about 60g) of walnuts daily had a smaller chance of developing breast cancer and tumors compared to mice that did not.
2. Reducing the likelihood of depression
Walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce the risk of depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), cancer, and Alzheimer's disease.
3. Lowering the risk of diabetes
A study by the Harvard School of Public Health showed that women who ate nuts five times a week had a nearly 30% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The unsaturated fats in nuts are beneficial for insulin breakdown.
4. Containing antioxidants to promote heart health
A new study from the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania showed that the high-quality antioxidants in walnuts can effectively protect heart function and prevent heart-related diseases.
5. Reducing stress
A study published last year in the *Journal of the American College of Nutrition* showed that walnut oil in walnuts can reduce static blood pressure, and changes in eating habits can better help our bodies cope with external stress.
A recent experiment conducted by Australian scientists has proven that eating walnuts daily can lower human cholesterol. Liu Hongxu, a member of the Branch of Collateral Disease of the Chinese Society of Chinese Medicine and director of the Department of Cardiology at Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said that walnuts are mainly rich in fat, and the lipids they contain include linoleic acid glycerides, linolenic acid, and oleic acid glycerides, which are beneficial for reducing the increase of cholesterol in the blood and are very helpful for the health of patients with arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
Since ancient times, traditional Chinese medicine has called walnuts the "longevity fruit," believing that they can tonify the kidneys and brain, replenish the middle jiao and qi, moisturize the skin, and blacken hair. Professor Zhang Hude from the Health Preservation Room of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine said that walnuts are most suitable for mental workers, especially white-collar women, because this group often overuses their brains, which consumes a lot of heart blood, and eating walnuts can nourish the brain, improve cerebral circulation, and enhance mental power. At the same time, it also has the effect of blackening hair and making the skin smooth and radiant, because "hair is the surplus of blood," and when blood is abundant, hair turns black. Moreover, walnuts are rich in various vitamins, which can improve the physiological activity of human skin, so they are a beauty product for women. It is said that the famous Peking Opera artist Mei Lanfang ate walnut porridge every day before his death, so his skin was supple and tender, and his complexion was radiant.
When we crack open the hard shell of a walnut, we find that the kernel looks very much like a human brain, and many people have further understood that walnuts can nourish the brain because of this. Professor Zhang said: "This is called 'seeking like from like' or 'taking images from categories' in traditional Chinese medicine. TCM itself is an empirical science, based on laws summarized from long-term practical experience. Facts have proved that walnuts are indeed very effective for brain nourishment."
Modern nutritional research believes that the net kernel of a walnut, after removing about 50% of the shell and other waste, contains 63% linoleic acid, 16.4% linolenic acid, and rich protein, phosphorus, calcium, and various vitamins. It contains a large amount of unsaturated fatty acids, which can strengthen the elasticity of cerebral blood vessels and promote the vitality of nerve cells, improving the physiological function of the brain. Moreover, walnuts are high in phospholipids, which can maintain normal cell metabolism, enhance cell vitality, and prevent the decline of brain cells. In Japan, some nutritionists advocate that school-age children eat 2-3 walnuts a day, which is very helpful for children who are irritable, listless, dislike learning, and are slow to react.
How to eat walnuts the healthiest way?
Walnuts are a treasure, but they also require attention to how they are eaten and their contraindications. Director Liu believes that they should be taken in moderation, long-term, and consistently. Although the fat in walnut kernels is unsaturated fat that is beneficial for clearing cholesterol, fat itself has high calories. If consumed in excess and cannot be fully utilized, it will be stored by the body as cholesterol, which has the opposite effect. Generally, the weight of walnut kernels consumed daily should be about 40 grams, which is equivalent to four or five walnuts. At the same time, other fat intake should be appropriately reduced to avoid excessive calorie intake. Professor Zhang said that walnuts are "heaty" and contain a lot of oil, and eating too much can cause "heatiness" (a concept in TCM) and nausea, so people who are currently experiencing "heatiness" or diarrhea should not eat them. A very good way to eat them is to cook walnut kernels with red dates and rice into walnut porridge, because walnuts can nourish the "innate foundation" (the kidneys), while rice and red dates can nourish the "acquired foundation" (the spleen and stomach), so this combination has the best health care effect.