Snacking has become a national pastime in the U.S. The snack aisles in the supermarkets have expanded to include major parts of the store that act as a huge vending machine from one end to another. Nuts have had the reputation of being unhealthy due to their fat content; now they are considered healthy for many reasons.
Although they are so many varieties, walnuts often stand out as an example of how nuts can be easily incorporated into a healthy diet.
Most nuts contain healthy antioxidant compounds called polyphenols, which improve cholesterol scores and help lower rates of oxidative stress and vascular disease. But of all nuts, walnuts pack the greatest punch of polyphenols according to a 2011 study from the Royal Society of Chemistry journal, Food and Function. Also, they come in first when it comes to their stores of polyunsaturated fatty acids, essential for improved metabolism, satiety, and prevention of Type 2 diabetes.
It is interesting to encourage walnut consumption when possible to support your brain, thanks to those antioxidants, various vitamins and other nutrients, and a type of plant-based omega-3 fat called alpha-linolenic acid.
In a recent published study, Lenore Arab, a professor of disease prevention at UCLA and her colleagues examined diet and lifestyle habits of thousands of adults. In terms of memory, concentration and "information processing speed", the people who ate more walnuts signficantly outperformed their counterparts that eat less walnuts. These results held solid even after the results controlled for age, ethnicity, exercise and other lifestyle factors.
Note: I use chopped walnuts, dried cherries or cranberries on salads. There are two common kinds of walnuts - the English from California and the black walnut, which is native to America. They differ slightly in their nutrition - the English has slightly less protein and slightly more fat. Both are great! Time Special Edition, The Science of Nutrition)
Note: Walnuts are ironically shaped like a brain. Look carefully and you will see the resemblance (similar examples are "kidney beans are shaped like a kidney". "The Doctor or Signatures is a concept in herbalism that's been around for centuries based on the idea that God marked everything with a sign which was a signature or indication of the item's purpose. In this particular case certain foods had a purpose and resembled the food itself.(The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS.)
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