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California Walnuts | Essential Food for Health

Top Ten Reasons Walnuts Make a Good Snack

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In addition to offering a natural, flavorful and satisfying crunch, walnuts are a guilt-free food with many added benefits.

  • SMART FOR THE HEARTi,ii,iii,iv,v

              "Supportive but not conclusive research shows that eating 1.5 ounces of walnuts per day, as part of a low saturated fat and low cholesterol diet, and not resulting in increased caloric intake may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease." - the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a qualified health claim for walnuts - March 2004.

  • AN ESSENTIAL FAT: YOUR BODY NEEDS IT

             Walnuts contain 13.4 grams per serving of polyunsaturated fatty acids which are essentail for good health!

  • OMEGA-3 LEADER

             Walnuts lead amongst the nuts in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the plant form of omega-3 fatty acid, having 2.6 grams per serving.

  • GOOD FOR YOUR BONES

             Bone health may improve with ALA consumption according to clinical research published in the January 2007 issue of Nutrition Journalvi.  In the study, 23 participants followed three different diets over a six week time fram for each: 1) Average American Diet, 2) Linolenic Diet and 3) ALA Diet.  The results suggest higher consumption of ALA led to a reduction in bone turnover, and a shift in the balance of bone degradation/formation toward formation.  The researchers concluded that plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids (ALA) protected bone metabolism in study participants.

  • BIG BANG WITH EVERY BITE!

             The Overall Nutritional Quality Index (ONQI)vii, a new independent nutrition measurement scale developed by top nutrition scientist awards higher numbers to nutrient rich foods such as walnuts - which were given 82 points on a scale of 100.

  • A TOP SOURCE OF ANTIOXIDANTS

             A 2006 study found of 1113 foods tested, walnuts ranked second only to blackberries in terms of antioxidant content.viii

  • NATURAL SOURCE OF MELATONIN

             Walnuts are a natural source of the antioxidant melatonin.

  • NUTRITIOUS FOOD FOR DIABETICSix

             Marion J. Franz, MS, RD, LD, CDE, former director of nutrtional and health professional education at the International Diabetes Center believes "it is improtant and challenging for people with type 2 diabetes to eat the right types and balance of fats.  The fact that achieving nutrition goals became easier by including walnuts is helpful and useful news for persons with diabetes.

  • WEIGHT FRIENDLY SNACK

             According to Drs. Oz and Roizen, authors of the YOU books, eating 6 walnuts just before a meal "tells your brain you've had enough to eat and then keeps you feeling full by slowing the emptying of yoru stomach...and you'll be likely to eat less." (Realage.com)

  • ZERO CHOLESTEROL, SUGAR OR SODIUM

             Yet are tasty morsels!

iCirculation. 2002 Nov 19;106(21):2747-57

iiHypertension. 2007 Aug;50(2):313-9

iiiJ AM Coll Cardiol. 2006 Oct 17;48(8):1666-71

ivArch Intern Med. 2007 Jun 11;167(11):1195-203

vAnn Intern Med. 2006 Jul 4;145(1):1-11

viNutrition Journal. 2007 Jan;6:3

viihttp://www.griffinhealth.org/Research/ONQI.aspx

viiiAm J Clin Nutr. 2006 Jul;84(1):95-135

ixJAMA. 2002 Nov 27;288(20):2554-60