What Happens if You Eat Walnuts Every Day? Benefits, Quantity, and Side Effects

Walnuts are incredibly healthy and should be incorporated into your daily diet. Consuming a daily ounce of walnuts will lower your risk of heart disease due to their high protein, calorie, and healthy fat content.

Walnuts have a multitude of health benefits and are conveniently portable for snacking. They contribute to better heart health, decrease levels of LDL (low-density lipoprotein), or "bad cholesterol," and provide a rich source of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. These nuts contain antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that slow down the aging process.

A 100-gram serving of walnuts is packed with essential nutrients:

Energy: 654 calories

Protein: 15.2 grams

Total fats : 65.2 grams

Saturated fatty acids: 6.1 grams

Monounsaturated fatty acids: 8.9 grams

Carbohydrates: 13.7 grams

Minerals: Calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, and selenium.

Vitamins: A, C, E, K, and several B vitamins.

While the fat content may be initially concerning, less than 10% consists of saturated fatty acids, which raise cholesterol. Most of the fat is beneficial polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Benefiting Your Heart

Walnuts are a treasure trove of heart-healthy nutrients. Consuming 30 to 60 grams of walnuts daily effectively reduces total cholesterol, LDL, and intermediate-density lipoprotein cholesterol. LDL, commonly known as "bad cholesterol," significantly increases the risk of heart disease. Even if you are already taking statin drugs to lower cholesterol levels, walnuts provide an additional reduction. Those with hypercholesterolemia experience even greater benefits.

These chemical benefits translate into improved health. Eating walnuts regularly leads to fewer heart attacks and a decreased risk of heart disease-related death. Weekly nut consumption lowers the risk of sudden cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and cardiovascular disease by a noteworthy 30% to 50%.

The unsaturated fats in walnuts simultaneously lower LDL and increase levels of the beneficial HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol. Walnuts, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, protect against irregular heart rhythms and blood clots.

Walnuts play a vital role in combating heart disease and stroke, which pose significant risks to individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Including an ounce of nuts five times a week dramatically diminishes cholesterol levels, heart disease, and premature death.

Furthermore, walnuts are an excellent source of dietary fiber, which reduces the risk of metabolic syndrome and heart disease while enhancing digestive health.

Walnuts and Brain Function

Walnuts guard against age-related cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and other brain disorders. These conditions often result from oxidative stress and inflammation within the nervous system. Notably, walnuts contain powerful antioxidants, such as gamma tocopherol, melatonin, flavonoids, phenolic acid, and proanthocyanidins.

Another key component found in walnuts is alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an essential fatty acid with strong anti-inflammatory properties. ALA suppresses the production of inflammatory molecules and is converted into eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which also possess anti-inflammatory effects. Regular walnut consumption significantly reduces the risk of dementia and slows its progression.

Incorporating walnuts into your daily diet helps combat age-related declines in memory, learning, judgment, orientation, language, and comprehension. These cognitive impairments greatly impact daily life and social functioning. Walnuts effectively preserve memory, learning ability, and processing speed.

Why Should You Consume Walnuts?

Without a doubt, you should include walnuts in your diet due to their protein, calorie, and healthy fat content. Nuts offer an excellent source of arginine, an amino acid that promotes the production of nitric oxide—a molecule that relaxes constricted blood vessels and enhances blood flow. Nuts are also rich in vitamin E, folate, fiber, and other valuable nutrients. It is advisable to consume a variety of nuts for their unique nutrient profiles.

According to the American Heart Association, legumes and nuts are considered healthy sources of protein. Diets relying solely on meat for protein are now regarded as unhealthy, leading to the recommendation of partial replacement with plant-based proteins. Walnuts are particularly beneficial due to their high concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are more effective than monounsaturated fatty acids in protecting your heart by reducing serum lipid concentrations.

Among nuts, walnuts boast the highest phenolic content, resulting in excellent antioxidant activity. This property shields cells and organs from damage caused by free radicals. A 50-gram serving of walnuts contains more phenolic content than a glass of red wine or apple juice.

Walnuts are distinctive due to their high proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids such as ALA and linoleic acid. Most other nuts primarily consist of monounsaturated fatty acids. Consistently consuming walnuts leads to decreased blood pressure and lowered levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, and apolipoprotein B, ultimately protecting your heart.

Fiber is another key component found in walnuts, promoting digestive health and reducing the risk of colon cancer. Additionally, fiber prevents the absorption of fat and cholesterol, reducing the risk of heart disease. For individuals with diabetes or prediabetes, an adequate fiber intake prevents spikes in blood sugar levels after meals.

QUESTION

Potential Health Risks

Caloric Overload: Walnuts possess high energy content. A 100-gram serving provides 654 calories, which can potentially contribute to excessive calorie intake and the risk of obesity.

Allergies: Walnuts, along with cashews, are the most common cause of allergic reactions among tree nuts in America. Allergic responses to walnuts may manifest as skin rashes, digestive issues, or respiratory symptoms such as coughing and wheezing. In severe cases, anaphylaxis may occur, resulting in breathing difficulties, plummeting blood pressure, and potentially, death. Walnut allergies typically emerge during childhood and persist throughout life.

How Many Walnuts Should You Consume Daily?

Although walnuts are delicious and healthy, moderation is key. Consuming 100 grams of walnuts adds 654 calories to your daily intake, making it challenging to include sufficient food from other major food groups within your diet.

Research has shown that consuming one ounce (30 grams) of walnuts daily reduces the risk of heart disease. The recommended serving size is a small handful or 1.5 ounces (45 grams) per day. Walnuts make an excellent, nutrient-dense snack that can be easily carried wherever you go.

Sources: "Plant-Based Dietary Patterns, Plant Foods, and Age-Related Cognitive Decline" (Advances in Nutrition); "Fiber: The Carb That Helps You Manage Diabetes" (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention); "2021 Dietary Guidance to Improve Cardiovascular Health: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association" and "Effects of Walnut Consumption for 2 Years on Lipoprotein Subclasses Among Healthy Elders" (Circulation); "Nuts for the Heart" (Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health); "Replacing Saturated Fat With Walnuts or Vegetable Oils Improves Central Blood Pressure and Serum Lipids in Adults at Risk for Cardiovascular Disease: A Randomized Controlled-Feeding Trial" (Journal of the American Heart Association); "Beneficial Effects of Walnuts on Cognition and Brain Health" and "Nut Allergy: Clinical and Allergological Features in Italian Children" (Nutrients); "Nuts, walnuts, english" (US Department of Agriculture).

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