California Walnuts – walnuts.org
Ever since the New England Journal of Medicine released new, positive findings on the Mediterranean diet this week, California's walnut and olive oil processors have been fielding calls.
What are walnuts?
Walnuts are the edible seed of the Juglans tree varietals: English (Persian) walnut, Juglans regia; Black, Juglans nigra; White (butternut), Juglans cinerea.
Walnuts may be the oldest-known cultivated tree crop, but until recently, I had little idea as to how the actual harvesting and processing procedure goes down.
The state's walnut growers can expect to shake the second-largest crop off their trees this year.
Copyright 2012 California Walnut Commission
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. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, March 2004.
One ounce of walnuts provides 18g of total fat, 2.5g of monounsaturated fat, 13g of polyunsaturated fat, including 2.5g of alpha–linolenic acid — the plant-based omega–3.
