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The Many Benefits Of Eating Californian Walnuts

We are advocates for eating dried fruits, nuts, and seeds at Whitworths, but in this blog post, in collaboration with California Walnuts, we are focusing on walnuts. Specifically, we are sharing the key benefits of eating Californian Walnuts and how to include them in your diet for any meal or snacking occasion.

What Makes Walnuts So Nutritious? 5 Reasons Walnuts Are Nutritious

We have previously spoken about the health benefits of walnuts, in our blog post ‘10 Proven Health Benefits Of Walnuts’, such as the fact that they are rich in polyunsaturated fats, antioxidants, fibre and folic acid. Here, we expand on this knowledge following further research, and summarise with five key reasons that walnuts are nutritious:

1. They are high in fibre. Fibre promotes healthy bowel function and helps you to feel full, however most people don’t have a diet that provides them with enough fibre. 30 grams of walnuts (a handful) offers 1.4g of fibre.
2. Protein: most nuts are high in plant-based protein, and 30g of walnuts provides 4.4g of protein. Eating more protein can make you feel fuller for longer, and research has shown the importance walnuts may play as part of a healthy diet to help manage diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
3. High in ALA: Omega-3s can’t be made in the body, so they must come from food. The three main omega-3 fatty acids are Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). EPA and DHA are found in fatty fish. Whereas ALA is found in plant-based foods, such as walnuts. Walnuts are the only tree nut to contain a significant amount of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the plant-based omega-3 essential fatty acid. A 30g serving of walnuts provides 2.7 grams of ALA.
4. Gut health: research has shown that eating walnuts can positively affected the composition and function of the human gastrointestinal microbiota.
5. Walnuts contain nutrients that may help protect your brain from damaging inflammation and support good brain function as you age.

Is It True That Walnuts Are Important For Heart Health?

Walnuts can help lower blood pressure. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. It has been found that people on the nut-enriched Mediterranean diet had a 0.65 mmHg greater decrease in diastolic blood pressure than people on a similar heart-healthy control diet who weren’t given nuts. This suggests that nuts may slightly improve the blood pressure benefits of a heart-healthy diet. This is important, as small differences in blood pressure are thought to have a big impact on your risk of heart disease death.

Effect of the Mediterranean diet on blood pressure in the PREDIMED trial: results from a randomized controlled trial – PubMed (nih.gov)

California Walnuts have the HEART UK heart-healthy seal of approval In addition, EFSA has approved the health claim that a handful of walnuts a day* (30g) can have a positive effect on the elasticity of the blood vessels – helping to keep the cardiovascular system healthy.

https://www.heartuk.org.uk/news/latest/post/141-enjoy-a-handful-of-tasty-california-walnuts-over-national-cholesterol-month

“California Walnuts can help maintain normal blood cholesterol levels, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and are high in plant-based Omega-3 fatty acids (ALA)” – which are all important for heart health.

https://www.californiawalnuts.co.uk/heart-health/

What Recipes Can I Make Using Walnuts?

Besides the fantastic health benefits of California walnuts, they taste fantastic!

California Walnuts have a mild and creamy flavour and soft consistency, making them an excellent choice for both sweet and savoury dishes.

Here are some recipes on our website that use walnuts:

• Roasted Aubergine, Walnut & Lentil Ragu
• Gammon Mac & Cheese With Walnut Crust
• All The Trimmings Tray Bake With Walnut & Rocket Pesto
• Roasted Sprouts With Walnut Crumble
• Halloumi, Walnut & Apricot Salad
• Beetroot, Avocado & Walnut Salad
• Date & Walnut Loaf Cake
• Californian Walnut, Mushroom & Tarragon Pesto Gnocchi
• Chilli California Walnut Stir Fry
• California Walnut & Cheese Savoury Muffins
• Lentil & California Walnut Bolognese
• Vegan Choc Chip and Walnut Cookies
• Blueberry, Tahini & Walnut Smoothie

Give Walnuts A Try!

Walnuts are both nutritious and delicious, and are arguably a product that should be a staple in a balanced diet. If you’d like to see some inspiring recipes in video format, check out our socials via LinkTree.