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Featured Ingredient -- Walnuts -- Good for Your Health
Rate it! Votes (1) | Comments (0) By FabulousFoods.com Posted October 28th, 2008

Nutritional expert after expert have declared walnuts one of the healthiest foods you can eat.  In March 2004, based on 10 years of research supporting the heart health benefits of walnuts, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration jumped on the bandwagon and approved a qualified health claim for walnuts, the first ever for a whole food.

Walnuts high levels of omega-3 fatty acids make them unique among tree nuts and peanuts. Walnuts are the only nut that contain a significant amount of omega-3 fatty acids. No other nut even comes close.  Eating a handful of walnuts every day is one small step you can take to protect your heart.

How can such a little nut have such a profound effect on the human body? By helping improve the quality of our arteries, promoting healthy cholesterol levels, and helping to offset the effects of oxidation with their high antioxidant activity levels.

How do walnuts affect arteries? Walnuts exert a number of positive effects on arteries, including decreasing inflammation and reducing levels of substances that promote clogging.

All blood vessels in the human body are lined with endothelial cells. Endothelial cells play a crucial role in the development of heart disease, specifically hardening of the arteries. This process starts when endothelial cells are “injured” either by an abrasion or inflammation or a toxic “insult” from substances such as cigarette smoke. Once injured, the cells begin to accumulate cholesterol and white blood cells, forming a plaque in the artery. The plaque formations make the arteries stiff, hence the term “hardening” of the arteries. The plaques get larger over time, and can eventually block blood flow through the artery, which in coronary arteries can lead to a heart attack. This same process can cause blockages in arteries leading to the brain, thereby causing a stroke.

Studies have shown that adding walnuts to a healthful diet can decrease CRP levels. CRP is a measure of inflammation. Inflammation damages arteries. Once an artery is damaged, scar tissue can build up and increase risk of a blocked artery. Adding walnuts to the diet also reduces levels of VCAM-1, a substance that encourages white blood cells to stick to damaged artery walls. An animal study conducted at the University of California at Davis has shown that walnuts can also decrease levels of endothelin, a substance that promotes arterial inflammation and plaque development.

Walnuts can also help control cholesterol. When eaten as part of a low saturated fat and low cholesterol diet, walnuts can reduce total and LDL “bad” cholesterol while preserving levels of HDL “good” cholesterol. Walnuts also increase LDL particle size, which is beneficial as large fluffy LDL particles are less likely to clog arteries than small dense LDL particles.

Walnuts and Cancer Prevention
Walnuts are also known for their high antioxidant activity. Antioxidants help offset the effects of oxidation, a process that is constantly occurring in the body. The human body is equipped to deal with a certain level of oxidation and naturally occurring antioxidant enzymes work to protect our cells and our DNA from oxidative damage. However, oxidative stress occurs when the body’s natural defenses can’t keep up with oxidative damage. Daily events like breathing, eating, being exposed to cigarette smoke or pollution, and over-exposure to sunlight can all create oxidative stress. Some researchers believe that oxidative stress may contribute to cancer risk.

One way to possibly combat oxidative stress is to eat more antioxidant-rich foods, like walnuts. A 2002 study conducted in Norway showed that walnuts rank second only to rose hips in their antioxidant content. The researchers examined a wide variety of plant-based foods, including fruits, vegetables, cereals, nuts, and seeds. Sunflower seeds were shown to have 25% of the activity of walnuts while other nuts (almonds, cashews, hazelnuts and peanuts) exhibited less than 4% of the activity.

Walnuts contain a number of substances that may contribute to their overall antioxidant activity, including melatonin, ellagic acid, gamma-tocopherol, carotenoids, and polyphenolic compounds. While research in this area is emerging, and there is little scientific consensus on the role of antioxidants in reducing risk of cancer and other chronic diseases, everyone can agree that eating walnuts for their proven cardiovascular benefits is a smart move, not to mention their great taste. Think of possible cancer prevention as a bonus.

To learn more about Walnuts, check out the other parts of this Ingredient Feature:

• Buying and Storing Walnuts
• Walnuts -- Toasting and Blanching Tips
• Walnut Trivia
• Tons of Walnut Recipes
  

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