Growers & Handlers Foodservice Professionals
text size Small | Medium | Large

California Walnuts | Essential Food for Health

Walnuts: Crack Open Daily for Your Health

The Folklore

Ancient Romans regarded walnuts as food for the gods.  In Medieval times, the tree nut was said to ease digestion.  And in the 16th and 17th centuries, people used walnuts to treat head ailments, boost intellect and induce calm.

The Facts

The black walnut (Juglans nigra) is native to North America, but the English walnut (Juglans regia) dominates the marketplace.  The so-called English walnut actually hails from Persia; "English" refers to the mariners who transported walnuts around the world for trade.

Walnuts are the only nut that supply significant amounts of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid credited with several health benefits.  One ounce of walnuts more than satisfies the suggested daily intake of ALA.  Walnuts also deliver the minerals, copper, phosphorous, magnesium and manganese.

The Findings

Research suggests that eating walnuts can calm inflammation of blood vessels and lower blood cholesterol levels.  A recent European study nearly 400 people at risk for heart disease found that eating an ounce of nuts (half as walnuts) daily as part of a traditional Mediterranean diet reduced oxidation of low-density lipoproteins ("bad" LDL cholesterol) over three months.  Oxidized-LDL (ox-LDL) is the "really bad" cholesterol implicated in heart disease.

Recently, Penn State researchers discovered that a diet rich in ALA from walnuts and walnut oil bolsters bone density.  While the study examined only ALA's effects, there's a good chance the minerals in walnuts benefit bone health too.

What about Walnuts and your waistline?  Like all nuts, walnuts are rich in fat, but mostly the beneficial unsaturated kind.  As long as you keep calories in balance with exercise, walnuts won't add inches, according to a scientific review.  Moreover, the famed Nurses' Health Study found that women who ate at least five ounces of nuts a week were less likely to develop type 2 diabetes during 16 years of follow-up.  The bottom line?  A small handful a day is likely good for your health.

The Finer Points

When buying nuts in the shell, pick intact shells that are heavy for their size.  For freshness, buy them packaged, not from bins.  Store in a cool, dark, dry place; they'll keep six months.

Walnuts are tasty on their own, but they also pair well with other healthful foods: Sprinkle chopped walnuts onto cereal, sauteed vegetables and salads; stir into low-fat yogurt, quick bread batters, pilafs, whole-grain couscous and chicken salad.  Intensify their flavor by roasting shelled nuts on a baking sheet at 170 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes.  Make a banana-walnut smoothie by blending a medium-ripe frozen banana with one cup low-fat vanilla yogurt and 1/4 cup walnuts.

By Elizabeth M. Ward, M.S., R.D.