Walnut. Benefit And Harm To The Body Of Women, Men, Children

Nuts contain many biologically active components that promote health. They provide the body with:

• macronutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates) - these are the main nutrients that provide energy and serve as "building material" for our body;
• micronutrients (minerals and vitamins). These substances do not have nutritional value, but they are necessary for normal metabolism;
• fat-soluble biologically active substances (phytosterols, phytostanols, squalene, terpenoids, sphingolipids, carotenoids, chlorophylls, alkylphenols and others). These substances also do not have nutritional value, but they play an important role in metabolism. 

The history of the walnut

 

The walnut is one of the most popular nuts.

Persia is considered to be the birthplace of the walnut. The first to start growing walnuts as an agricultural crop were the ancient Persians. They bred magnificent varieties from wild-growing nuts, which had large fruits and gave a large harvest. The Persians called the grown nuts royal.

Later, the ancient Greeks began to grow nuts - they spread these trees first on the Mediterranean coast, and then throughout Europe.

Walnut is a long-lived tree. It can bear fruit up to 400 years. The most valuable thing in a nut is the kernel of the fruit and the oil extracted from the nut. However, man has learned to process everything: wood, shells, leaves, bark. Everything has a use.

What is useful walnut for the human body

 

Walnuts are a concentrated source of nutrients: 100 g of walnuts contain 654 kcal, 15.2% protein, 65.2% fat, 13.7% carbohydrate, as well as vitamins, minerals and fat-soluble biologically active substances.

Protein in walnut

Walnut contains high-quality vegetable protein, which contains essential amino acids (tryptophan, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, valine), as well as conditionally replaceable ones (arginine, cysteine ​​and tyrosine).

Fats in walnut

Walnut contains 65% fat, of which 8.6% is omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid. Alpha-linolenic acid reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases associated with arrhythmias, thrombosis, elevated triglycerides, atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, inflammation of the walls of blood vessels, etc. Insufficient intake of this acid can lead to visual dysfunction - sensory neuropathy, pathology from the side of the retina. Inflammatory skin diseases can also develop - scaly and hemorrhagic inflammations.

Carbohydrates in walnut

There are 13.7 g of carbohydrates per 100 g of walnut. These are fiber (6.7 g), a little starch (0.06 g), as well as simple sugars (sucrose - 2.4 g; glucose - 0.08 g; fructose - 0.09 g).

vitamins

Walnut contains a large amount of vitamins and vitamin-like substances.

Vitamin Amount per 100 g Action Vitamin C 1.3 mg antioxidant, an important element in the synthesis of collagen, cholesterol Vitamin B1 0.341 mg is involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates and amino acids, stimulates the brain, is necessary for the health of the cardiovascular system Vitamin B2 0.15 mg is needed for the growth and renewal of tissues, has a positive effect on the state of the nervous system, liver, skin, mucous membranes Vitamin B3 1.125 mg is part of the enzymes that provide cellular respiration, normalizes the work of the stomach and pancreas Vitamin B4 39.2 mg is involved in the metabolism of fats, promotes hematopoiesis, hepatoprotector Vitamin B5 0.57 mg is involved in the metabolism of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, the synthesis of hemoglobin, choline, the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, hormones of the adrenal cortex Vitamin B6 0.537 mg is involved in protein metabolism,necessary for the production of red blood cells Vitamin B9 98 mcg is necessary for normal cell division, as well as for the proper formation of the spinal cord and neural tube in the fetus Vitamin A, beta-carotene 13 mcg is necessary for growth, the formation of teeth and bones, for organs of vision, skin Lutein + zeaxanthin 9 mcg protects the organs of vision from the effects of ultraviolet rays Vitamin E (alpha, beta, gamma and delta tocopherols) 23.57 mg antioxidant, prevents diseases of the cardiovascular system, protects the skin from drying out Vitamin K 2.7 mcg participates in the process of blood clotting essential for healthy bones and teethskin Lutein + zeaxanthin 9 mcg protect the organs of vision from the action of ultraviolet rays Vitamin E (alpha, beta, gamma and delta tocopherols) 23.57 mg antioxidant, prevents diseases of the cardiovascular system, protects the skin from drying out Vitamin K 2.7 mcg participates in blood clotting process, essential for healthy bones and teethskin Lutein + zeaxanthin 9 mcg protect the organs of vision from the action of ultraviolet rays Vitamin E (alpha, beta, gamma and delta tocopherols) 23.57 mg antioxidant, prevents diseases of the cardiovascular system, protects the skin from drying out Vitamin K 2.7 mcg participates in blood clotting process, essential for healthy bones and teeth

In addition to the main vitamins, walnuts contain a large amount of biologically active substances.

Polyphenols

Polyphenols are a special class of organic compounds with antioxidant properties. The main polyphenols in walnuts are pedunculagin and ellagitannin. After consumption, ellagitannins are metabolized with the release of ellagic acid, which is converted by the intestinal microflora into urolithin A and other derivatives, such as urolithins B, C and D. Urolithins have antioxidant activity and prevent degenerative brain diseases. Ellagitannins have well-known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. They also prevent cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.

Phytosterols

100 g of walnuts contain 87 mg of beta-sitosterol. This is a vegetable lipid that helps prevent atherosclerosis, increases the amount of alpha-lipoproteins, improving well-being. Beta sitosterol reduces the number of angina attacks, increases testosterone levels, and activates the synthesis of female sex hormones.

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Minerals

Walnuts contain a large amount of minerals necessary for the human body.

Mineral Quantity per 100 g Why do you need Calcium 98 mg is necessary for the health of bones, blood vessels, is involved in the transmission of nerve impulses Iron 2.91 mg is necessary for transporting oxygen, is involved in many enzymatic reactions Magnesium 158 mg is important for the health of the immune and nervous systems, muscles Phosphorus 345 mg is necessary for the health of teeth, bones, blood vessels, kidneys Potassium 441 mg is an important electrolyte in our body, participates in the transport of nutrients and metabolites, supports the health of the cardiovascular system Sodium 2 mg electrolyte, is necessary to maintain fluid balance, regulation blood pressure, for the functioning of the muscular and nervous systems Zinc 3.09 mg is important for the immune system, the health of the skin, heart and organs of vision Copper 1.586 microns is necessary for the production of red blood cells, collagen synthesis, iron absorption Manganese 3,4 μg is necessary for the metabolism of proteins, fats and carbohydrates Selenium 4.9 μg is necessary for the synthesis of insulin and tyrosine, is involved in antioxidant protection

Walnut and health

Benefits of walnuts for brain health

 

The walnut kernel resembles the structure of the brain, and this suggests that this delicacy can support the health of such an important organ.

There have been many studies on the effect of walnuts on human mental abilities, here are some of them:

• in two PREDIMED clinical trials in Spain, healthy adults used a Mediterranean diet supplemented with 30 g of walnuts per day. The subjects showed an improvement in cognitive function compared to the control group, which was on a low-fat diet. There was also an improvement in memory in comparison with the original data;
• another clinical study in older women reported that long-term consumption of walnuts was associated with improved cognitive performance. The difference in cognition scores between women who took five or more servings of nuts per week and women who did not eat nuts was equivalent to two years of cognitive aging.

If you have difficulty remembering, abstract thinking, apathetic mood - you definitely need to introduce walnuts into your diet.

Benefits of walnuts for diabetes

It is known that people with type 2 diabetes are more likely to develop dementia. A large cohort study of 83,818 women aged 34-59 years was conducted, which showed that eating 30 g of walnuts daily five or more times a week reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Two other large cohort studies found that eating walnuts was associated with a significantly lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Eating walnuts has been shown to significantly improve vascular health in patients with type 2 diabetes. All these beneficial effects are possible due to the strong antioxidant properties of walnuts.

Walnuts and cardiovascular disease

A walnut-rich diet helps:

• reduce total cholesterol levels;
• reduce the amount of low-density lipoprotein (LDL);
• increase the amount of high-density lipoprotein (HDL);
• reduce blood pressure, the degree of inflammation and the rate of formation of atherosclerotic plaques.

With the use of walnuts, the amount of "bad cholesterol" becomes less, and "good cholesterol" more. These effects are achieved due to the content of useful oils in the nut (primarily alpha-linolenic acid), as well as due to the rich composition of biologically active substances (polyphenols, phytosterols and others).

Why are walnuts so healthy?

One American study tested 1,113 different foods for antioxidant content. Walnuts came in second, behind only blueberries.

Among nuts, it is walnuts that occupy the first place in terms of antioxidant activity, as they have the highest content of polyphenols.

Oxidative stress and inflammation play a key role not only in the development of Alzheimer's disease, but also in other brain disorders such as depression, autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and several age-related chronic diseases. Antioxidants from walnuts effectively detoxify reactive oxygen species, reducing oxidative stress levels and having a beneficial effect on human health.

How many walnuts can you eat per day

 

Since walnuts are high in calories, they are recommended to consume 30-50 g per day. This amount will be enough to get all the benefits of this truly royal delicacy.

Harm of walnuts

There are contraindications to the use of walnuts. They must be excluded from the diet in the following cases:

• allergies and individual intolerance. If you feel unwell while eating walnuts, it's a good idea to make sure you don't have an allergy or intolerance. If these conditions are detected, the use of walnuts is prohibited;
• skin inflammatory diseases (eczema, psoriasis). Nuts can cause an exacerbation, so it is necessary to monitor the individual reaction;
• inflammation of the pancreas and intestines. With these diseases, it is better not to eat nuts.