Walnut

Walnuts have a rich history dating back thousands of years. Walnuts are the oldest tree food known to man, dating back to 7000 B.C. The Romans called walnuts Juglans regia, “Jupiter’s royal acorn.” Early history indicates that English walnuts came from ancient Persia, where they were reserved for royalty. Thus, the walnut is often known as the “Persian Walnut.” Walnuts were traded along the Silk Road route between Asia and the Middle East. Caravans carried walnuts to far off lands and eventually through sea trade, spreading the popularity of the walnut around the world. English merchant marines transported the product for trade to ports around the world and they became known as “English Walnuts.” England, in fact, never grew walnuts commercially. The outer shell provided a natural protective layer helping to maintain the quality of the nut. Today the nut trade continues to be a well-established, ordered, and structured business.

The Reasons to eat Walnut

• Walnuts are rich in omega-3 and are an ample source of monounsaturated fatty acids (72%) like oleic acid. It also contains EFAs like linoleic acid, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), and arachidonic acids. Scientific studies prove that the inclusion of walnuts in any diet helps prevent coronary heart diseases by favoring a healthy lipid supply.
• EFAs from walnuts secure the bone health of the body. These increase calcium absorption and deposition, while reducing urinary calcium excretion.
• One of the health benefits of consuming walnuts is that it improves the body metabolism. They, along with EFAs, provide minerals like manganese, copper, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and selenium to the body. These minerals help contribute to metabolic activities like growth and development, sperm generation, digestion, and nucleic acid synthesis.
• People suffering from diabetes can have walnuts on a regular basis without any significant weight gain, since they contain a high amount of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats.
• Some of the components present in walnuts have the capability of controlling the growth of cancer cells in the body. The phenolic compounds and antioxidants found in them recorded a control on human cancer cells.
• The polyphenolic compounds and phytochemical substances found in walnuts reduce the effects of inflammation in the body.

Nutritional composition of walnut

Walnuts are a rich source of energy and hold many health-benefiting nutrients, minerals, antioxidants and vitamins that are essential for wellbeing.

Additionally, they are a rich source of many phytochemical substances that may contribute to their overall antioxidant activity, including melatonin, ellagic acid, vitamin-E, carotenoids, and polyphenolic compounds. These compounds are known to have potential health effects against cancer, aging, inflammation, and neurological diseases.

• Omega 3: They are a rich source of monounsaturated fatty acids (about 72%) like oleic acid and an excellent source of all-important omega-3 essential fatty acids such as linoleic acid, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and arachidonic acids. Regular consumption of walnuts in the diet, therefore, may help in lowering total as well as LDL or "bad cholesterol" and increases HDL or "good cholesterol" levels in the blood. Research studies suggest that the Mediterranean diet which is rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acids, and omega-3 fatty acids may help cut-down chances of coronary artery disease, and strokes by favoring healthy blood lipid profile.
• Vitamin-E:Further, they are an excellent source of vitamin-E, especially rich in γ -tocopherol; carry about 21g per 100g (about 140% of daily required levels). Vitamin-E is a powerful lipid soluble antioxidant essential for maintaining the integrity of cell membrane of mucosa and skin by protecting it from harmful oxygen-induced free radicals.
• Vitamin B6: This vitamin may strengthen the immune system and support nerve health. A vitamin B6 deficiency may cause anemia
• Minerals: They also very are a rich source of minerals such as manganese, copper, potassium, calcium, iron.