Walnut is a useful gift of nature, which must be included in a person's daily diet.
It turns out that our body best assimilates the simplest food . Fruits of plants are more useful to consume raw, unchanged, than after several stages of culinary processing. This postulate is also valid for nuts - valuable fruits with an almost ideal biochemical composition. Nuts contain a large amount of protein, healthy fats, fiber, antioxidants, plant sterols, as well as a number of vitamins, vitamin-like substances and minerals.
Hazelnuts, cashews, pistachios, pine nuts, macadamia nuts have useful properties, but the real king among all nuts is the walnut. So, a quarter of a cup of peeled walnuts contains a daily dose of essential vegetable fats, as well as the necessary amount of copper, manganese, molybdenum and vitamin biotin. Doctors strongly recommend introducing this wonderful product into your diet. So you will enrich your body with many necessary biologically active substances and strengthen your body.
1. Anticancer properties of walnutsLarge-scale studies on mice have shown that regular consumption of walnuts reduces the likelihood of developing prostate cancer and breast cancer. According to some data, the systematic use of walnuts allows you to reduce the probability of developing prostate cancer by 30-40% and breast cancer by as much as 50%!
Walnuts contain a large amount of the amino acid arginine, which has a beneficial effect on the work of blood vessels and reduces the likelihood of developing cardiovascular pathologies. At the same time, keep in mind that with a herpes infection, the use of a large amount of arginine is undesirable, because this amino acid, when absorbed into the blood, competes with another amino acid, lysine, which contributes to the elimination of the herpes virus. Therefore, with herpes infection, the consumption of nuts should be limited.
In addition, walnuts contain omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid, which has pronounced anti-inflammatory properties and prevents the formation of pathological blood clots. Studies show that a diet high in alpha-linolenic acid reduces the likelihood of cardiovascular disease by 50%. The likelihood of developing atherosclerotic changes also decreases, as omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid helps maintain normal cholesterol levels in the blood.
3. Antioxidant bombWalnut is also valuable for its unique antioxidant composition. This fruit contains such rare antioxidants as juglone, as well as tannins and flavones. One study demonstrated that polyphenols found in walnuts can prevent chemically induced damage to liver cells. In general, walnut antioxidants and polyphenols protect the body from the action of free radicals, reduce the risk of atherosclerotic changes in blood vessels, and also have pronounced anti-inflammatory properties.
4. Weight controlModerate consumption (no more than 4-5 fruits per day) of walnuts will help you maintain your weight at an optimal level. Yes, walnuts will allow you to eat less food, as they provide a feeling of satiety. On the other hand, the beneficial properties of walnut help maintain a normal level of metabolic processes, which only contributes to maintaining a good shape.
5. Walnuts and men's healthFew people know that walnuts have a beneficial effect on male reproductive function. Several large-scale studies, independently of each other, have established that regular consumption of walnuts in men improves the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of sperm.
6. Improvement of brain activityWalnuts contain a number of biologically active substances that are neuroprotectors. These include vitamin E, folic acid, melatonin, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants. It has been proven that the use of nuts contributes to the improvement of brain activity, as well as inhibition of processes that contribute to aging.
7. Walnuts and diabetesThe fatty acid composition of walnuts has a beneficial effect on the course of metabolic processes in people with type 2 diabetes. Research shows that eating a quarter cup of walnuts improves insulin production and lowers blood sugar.