Wonderful Walnuts

Humans have been eating walnuts for thousands of years. And for good reason walnuts help keep your heart healthy. They’re rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and ALA — the plant version of omega-3 fatty acids. Almost all walnuts found in grocery stores are English walnuts (although they probably originated in Persia). They’re delicious as a snack or as an addition to main dishes, sides, and salads.

Black walnuts are native to North America and are edible; however, they have a very thick, tough shell. In fact, a typical nutcracker won’t break them open but who cares it’s much more fun to use a hammer anyway. If you don’t have a hammer you can find shelled black walnuts online or in some specialty stores.

You should eat 1 ounce of walnuts every day; that’s about 14 halves matter fact you should eat more nuts and seeds then most American’s do in a year.

Walnuts are good for you

Providing marvelous melatonin and more. Walnuts are one of the few foods rich in melatonin, a hormone that protects the cells in your body. As you age, your body makes less melatonin and you lose some of that protection. Melatonin also helps you have normal sleep cycles, which are often disturbed as the body’s natural levels of melatonin fall with age.

Along with melatonin, walnuts have several antioxidants like vitamin E and polyphenols. A Norwegian study published in 2006 in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition ranked walnuts very high on a list of foods with the highest amounts of antioxidants per servings; they came in second only to blackberries. Walnuts contain healthful monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids, which are necessary for normal nervous system and brain function, plus they function as anti-inflammatory agents. While the omega-3 fatty acids aren’t exactly the same as those found in fish and seafood, your body can convert a lot of the ALA to the two forms found in fish: EPA and DHA.

You also get plenty of protein and fiber from walnuts. One ounce of walnuts (about 14 halves) contains 4 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber. Walnuts also have magnesium, potassium, and plant sterols like beta-sitosterol. Magnesium is needed for many chemical reactions in your body, plus normal muscle and nerve function. Potassium helps keep your blood pressure normal. Plant sterols reduce cholesterol and promote prostate health.