Walnuts are a nutrient-rich food, and an important source of omega-3 fatty acids.

In a report published by the Spanish newspaper "elconfidencial", writer Andrea Peña says that walnuts provide a lot of energy for the body, in addition to their wonderful taste.

Walnuts contain 11% saturated fatty acids, 16% monounsaturated fatty acids, and 68% polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Thanks to these properties, walnuts help reduce bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol, reduce triglycerides in the blood, lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of clots, and fight diabetes.

Walnuts also contain omega-6 fatty acids and omega-3 fatty acids.

Proteins, fibers and minerals

Walnuts also contain 14% of proteins that are necessary for building muscle. It also contains dietary fiber.

This promotes intestinal transit and helps prevent some types of cancer, such as colon cancer.

As for minerals, a 20-gram serving of shelled walnuts provides about 9% of the recommended daily amount of phosphorous and magnesium, and smaller amounts of selenium, potassium, iron, zinc and calcium.


What is the recommended amount per day?

According to new research published by Eurekalert on August 30 and issued by the American Heart Association, eating about half a cup of walnuts daily for two years partially reduced the levels of bad cholesterol in healthy elderly people.

Study co-author Emilio Ross, director of nutritional health services at the Hospital Clinic de Barcelona in Spain, confirms that "previous studies have shown that nuts in general, and walnuts in particular, help reduce rates of heart disease and stroke, because they reduce levels of harmful cholesterol." It also modulates low-density lipoprotein levels.

"LDL particles come in different sizes, and research has shown that these particles are most often associated with atherosclerosis, plaques, and fatty deposits that build up in the arteries," Ross adds.

Walnut and aging

In another study reported by hindawi and published in the Journal of Aging Research, researchers evaluated the effect of regular consumption of walnuts on levels of lipoproteins in the body, regardless of diet and geographic region.

The study included 708 healthy volunteers between the ages of 63 and 79 (68% of them women), who reside in Barcelona, ​​Spain, and Loma Linda, California, USA.

The participants were randomly divided into two groups: the first group added half a cup of walnuts to their daily diet, while the second group abstained from eating nuts.

Two years later, cholesterol levels and the volume and concentration of lipoproteins were analyzed using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

This test allowed doctors to very accurately characterize lipoproteins, which are proteins linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.


lowering cholesterol

The analyzes showed that the group that ate walnuts daily had lower levels of harmful cholesterol with an average of 4.3 mg/dL, and the total cholesterol level decreased by an average of 8.5 mg/dL.

The daily consumption of walnuts reduced the number of low-density lipoprotein particles by 4.3%, and small particles of bad cholesterol by 6.1%.

A lower concentration of low-density lipoprotein particles is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

The study also showed some disparity between the sexes, as bad cholesterol decreased in men by 7.9%, compared to 2.6% in women.

The study concluded that eating a handful of walnuts every day is a good way to promote cardiovascular health, and Professor Ross explains that the study "found that the healthy fats in walnuts did not cause weight gain in the participants."