A Handful Of Walnuts – Your Go-To Option To Meet Your Health Goals

Whether your health goals center on losing weight or improving overall wellbeing, research suggests that walnuts could be the missing ingredient for many Indians as part of a balanced diet.

So why walnuts?  Walnuts not only provide fuel for your brain and body to take on the day, but also the peace-of-mind that comes from preparing and enjoying nutritious food.

Appetite Control & Weight: Eating walnuts will not make you lose weight, eating less will, and walnuts will help you do that. There are specific hormones and areas of the brain that tell the body if it’s hungry or full. Studies using novel brain imaging technology and investigating appetite hormones shows promise for walnuts’ potential role.1 Also, walnuts are a natural, heart-healthy food2 that, when eaten as part of a healthy diet, won’t contribute to weight gain or hinder weight loss goals.3,4,5

Good Fats, Low in Carbs & More: While the concept of “good fat” is counterintuitive for many Indians, embracing a diet of nutrient-dense foods that replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats can have many benefits. One serving of walnuts (about a handful) offers key nutrients like plant-based omega-3 ALA (2.5g/28g), protein (4g/28g), and fiber (2g/28g). In addition, walnuts are significantly high in polyunsaturated fats (13g out of 18g total fat per 28g of walnuts). Because walnuts are primarily comprised of good fats; they are a good option for those looking for lower carb food/snack options. A new study of Korean adults with metabolic syndrome found that those who consumed about 42g of walnuts per day for 16 weeks, compared to those who consumed a higher-carb snack of white bread, saw improvements in HDL cholesterol and decrease in fasting glucose.6

Gut Health: Research on how certain foods impact gut health continues to evolve, but recent studies suggest that walnuts may play a role in a healthier gut due to their pre-biotic potential contributing to positive changes in the gut microbiome.7

Packed with a powerhouse of nutrients and all things good, why not make them part of your healthy lifestyle today?

SOURCES:

Farr OM, Tuccinardi D, Upadhyay J, Oussaada SM, Mantzoros CS. Walnut consumption increases activation of the insula to highly desirable food cues: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over fMRI study. Diabetes ObesMetab. 2018 Jan;20(1):173-177. doi: 10.1111/dom.13060. Epub 2017 Aug 17.

2 Supportive but not conclusive research shows that eating 1.5 ounces of walnuts per day, as part of a low saturated fat and low cholesterol diet, and not resulting in increased caloric intake may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. One ounce of walnuts provides 18g of total fat, 2.5g of monounsaturated fat, 13g of polyunsaturated fat, including 2.5g of alpha-linolenic acid, the plant-based omega-3.

3 Rock CL, Flatt SW, Pakiz B, et al. Effects of diet composition on weight loss, metabolic factors and biomarkers in a 1-year weight loss intervention in obese women examined by baseline insulin resistance status. Metabolism. 2016;65(11):1605-13.

4 Le T, Flatt SW, Natarajan L, et al. Effects of diet composition and insulin resistance status on plasma lipid levels in a weight loss intervention in women. J Am Heart Assoc. 2016;25;5(1):e002771.

5 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2015 – 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 8th Edition. December 2015. Available at http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/.

6 Hwang HJ, Liu Y, Kim HS, Lee H, Lim Y and Hyunjin Park. Daily walnut intake improves metabolic syndrome status and increases circulating adiponectin levels: randomized controlled crossover trial. Feb 2019

7Holscher HD, Guetterman HM, Swanson KS, An R, Matthan NR, Lichtenstein AH, Novotny JA, Baer DJ. Walnut consumption alters the gastrointestinal microbiota, microbially derived secondary bile acids, and health markers in healthy adults: a randomized controlled trial.  J Nutr. 2018 May 3. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxy004.