Eating Walnuts Can Help Ward Off These Diseases

Among all the nuts, walnuts are considered to be as one of the best. One can derive plenty of health benefits from walnuts if consumed in the right way.

A new research has found that eating a diet rich in walnuts may help prevent several diseases prevalent in India such as cardiovascular disorders, cancer and diabetes, according to an international team of researchers.

This fact was brought out during a Scientific and Health Research Meeting held recently. Researchers and medical professionals from the field of Nutrition, Cardiovascular, Cognition, Alzheimer's and Diabetes were part of the meeting.

The day-long Scientific and Health Research Meeting discussed the role of walnuts in disease prevention and maintenance of healthy lifestyle in the country. Several research findings have shown positive outcomes of walnuts in health issues such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diseases of ageing and diabetes.

According to Dr Rekha Sharma, Former Chief Dietician, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, metabolic syndrome combined with physical inactivity and under nutrition co exists in India, as a double burden on health.

Obesity, hypertension, diabetes and coronary artery disease are like a rising inferno in India, particularly in urban areas and on the other side of the spectrum we have under nutrition, especially in children, she said. Sharma quoted a Lancet study which found that India is the third most obese country in the world after US and China.

"All nuts are rich source of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and walnuts in addition also contain high amounts of omega-3 fatty acid, making it heart healthy," she said.

"Walnuts in the diet may improve cognitive function in normal individuals, and reduce the risk or delay the onset or progression of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia in Alzheimer's disease (AD)," said Abha Chauhan, from New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities (IBR) in the US.

Check for a few of the health benefits of walnuts in detail here.

1. Good For Brain Health:

Walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and this good fat helps to better brain health, fight stress and depression as well. Adding walnuts in the form of snacks or before going to bed helps.

2. Regulate Sleep:

Walnuts is one of the best known nuts that help regulate sleep. Walnuts contains melatonin, a hormone that helps induce and regulate sleep. Having 2-3 walnuts before going to sleep or during dinner helps induce sleep.

3. Good For The Heart:

Walnuts are rich in omega-3 and contains a good source of monounsaturated fatty acids. Several studies have pointed that consuming walnuts help prevent any heart related problem. Make it a point to have 2-3 walnuts everyday.

4. Good For The Bones:

Consuming walnuts are good for the bones. The EFAs contained in walnuts help in increasing the calcium absorption and thus help in keeping the bones healthy.

5. Improves Body Metabolism:

Consumption of walnuts help improve the metabolism in the body. Walnuts contains EFAs and minerals like manganese, copper, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and selenium that helps in building the body metabolism.

(With Agency Inputs)