Walnuts: The Research-Backed Health Benefits, including Positive Effects on Memory and Brain Health

The two-minute wonder food, Maggi, has shocked India. It is difficult to digest the blunder millions of Indians have been making almost every day in the name of consuming healthy processed food, for ages. Maggi cannot be singled out as the only food that is harmful to human consumption. The list in fact is long and scary. The dangers of sugar, salt, dairy products, red meat, GMOs, processed foods, etc., present clear and present danger. 

While the media is having a field day, chewing on this ‘palatable news’, we need not suffer indigestion worrying about healthy alternatives. So, if the news about adulterated food and unsafe food has been driving you nuts, the best solution is to GO NUTS. 

Walnuts have been loved the world over as the key brain food. It has been known to influence the brain and the overall health of an individual. According to research published in the British Journal of Nutrition, eating walnuts regularly can significantly increase critical thinking and especially what’s called inferential reasoning. Yet another research done at the David Geffen School of Medicine at The University of California, Los Angeles, has proved that walnuts improve memory irrespective of a person’s age or gender. 

The research involved individuals between the age of 20 and 90 years. One group of participants was asked to eat a handful of walnuts daily; while another group was not given any walnuts to eat. The researchers performed a series of cognitive tests. The tests assessed reaction time, the ability to recall stories, and the ability to learn and manipulate numbers.

The nutty group performed better. They took considerably less time to respond to questions and to complete the tasks. The interesting finding was that seniors who ate nuts scored 7.1 percentile points better on story recalls than those seniors who did not eat nuts. On digital substitution assessments, they scored 7.3 percentile points higher. This has led scientists to suggest that walnuts might be useful in preventing Alzheimer’s.

What makes walnuts, in particular, a health-enhancing food? They’re packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Moreover, 90 percent of the beneficial phytonutrients are in the walnut skin. Although the skin tastes a bit bitter, consuming walnuts along with its skin is better. It is ideal to eat 30 grams of walnuts a day. Some of the phytonutrients in walnuts are rare and particularly health-enhancing, such as the quinone juglone–virtually unique to walnuts, as well as the phytonutrient tellimagrandin and a type of flavonoid called morin. 

Only walnuts contain lots of alpha-linolenic acids (ALA), a health-enhancing omega-3 fatty acid that prevents the body from metabolizing ALA. An omega-3 fatty acid is a rich disease-fighting nutrient. The form of vitamin E present in walnuts, gamma-tocopherol, is unique and particularly beneficial to heart health.

Baby boomers and those who are affected by debilitating brain conditions like Alzheimer’s and Dementia can benefit from consuming walnuts. Walnuts have the magical power of slowing down brain decline. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are about 36 million people in the world today who suffer from dementia — and this number is expected to not just double by 2030 but triple by 2050. Should we be more careful and avoid becoming a part of these alarming statistics? 

Consuming walnuts will surely pay rich and healthy dividends. Packed with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids the best brain-boosting fats, ensure significant improvement in learning and memory. Many kinds of research have proved that walnuts slowed the growth of colon, prostate, and renal cancer. Thanks to certain antioxidant compounds in walnuts, such as tocopherols, beta-sitosterol, and pedunculagin, which possess anti-cancer properties. Walnuts have been proven to decrease bad LDL cholesterol and blood pressure. Recent research suggests that walnuts can boost endothelial function, which means, it is a viable treatment for type II diabetes. 

Walnuts give your body the much-needed calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and Vitamin B. Biotin (vitamin B7) contained in walnuts helps strengthen hair, reduce hair fall and improve hair growth. Renowned nutritionists suggest that the consumption of walnuts during pregnancy might decrease the risk of allergic disease development in children. Eating about 75g of walnut daily for 12 weeks could help improve sperm quality in men. 

Add walnuts to your daily diet, and eat other nuts like cashew, almond, pistachio, etc. Eat healthily. Live healthily.