06/30/2019
More Nutty News
There's another reason to add walnuts to your diet! New research from the Harvard School of Public Health indicates that walnuts may reduce the risk for Type 2 diabetes in women. The study, published in The Journal of Nutrition, included 138,000 nurses between the ages of 35 and 77 as part of a large, ongoing research of women's health. As part of this study, scientists gathered information on walnut consumption by participants for 10 years starting in 1999. They found that women who ate walnuts tend to weigh less, eat more fish and work out more than those who did not. Because of this, the researchers made allowances for for body fat and weight. They found that eating walnuts one to three times a month lowered the risk of developing type-2 diabetes by 4%. Eating them once a week dropped the risk by 13%, while participants who ate them at least twice a week reduced the risk of developing type-2 diabetes by 24%! This research further boosts walnut's reputation as an important addition to healthy diets.- The Journal of Alzheimer's Disease published a study that showed that eating walnuts as part of a Mediterranean diet protects against brain functioning decline that can occur with aging. Findings indicated that walnuts were linked to improved memory in the study participants, while other kinds of nuts were not.
- A study at the conducted at Marshall University School of Medicine in West Virginia found that eating about 28 walnut halves a day provides may help reduce the risk of breast cancer. Mice were fed a daily diet that included the human equivalent of two ounces of walnuts. Walnut eaters had significantly decreased breast tumor incidence and a slower rate of tumor growth than mice that were fed a control diet.
- A study by researchers from the University of Scranton found that walnuts have more antioxidants than other nuts like cashews, hazelnuts, pecans and pistachios.
- Walnuts are rich in omega-3s, making them beneficial in reducing depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and cancer. Strong evidence also exists that omega-3s can protect against inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease.
- Research published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that walnuts and walnut oil lowered both resting blood pressure and blood pressure responses to stress, indicating that a dietary change could help our bodies better respond to stress.
