(12-01-13) Six Ways Walnuts Help You Stay Healthy

A Special Report from Victor Marchione, MD
All nuts are good for you, but walnuts are superior to all the others when it comes to optimum nutrition. They are immensely healthy, brimming with "good" fats, and other substances proven to fight health problems. Here is a look at six great reasons why you might sprinkle some walnuts over your next salad.
1. They Fight High Cholesterol
The FDA says that "eating 1.5 ounces per day of walnuts as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease." This effect is traced back to its omega-3 content. In one study, people with high cholesterol followed either a Mediterranean diet or one where researchers substituted walnuts for 30% of the calories delivered by olives and different kinds of fats in the diet. As expected, the walnuts reduced cholesterol significantly. And, the people showed high levels of alpha-linolenic acid and gamma-tocopherol-two nutrients believed to protect the heart.
2. They Protect Against Atherosclerosis
Walnuts contain compounds that naturally thin the blood, preventing sticky blood cells from causing clots and stroke. In one study, they were found to make arteries 64% more flexible, and got rid of many molecules that are directly linked to atherosclerosis.
PLUS: Could walnuts help fight breast cancer?
3. They Combat High Blood Pressure
Walnuts are quite high in L-arginine, which battles hypertension. Inside the body, this amino acid turns into nitric oxide, which keeps the blood vessels smooth and relaxed, allowing for calmer blood flow. People with high blood pressure are often found to have lower levels of nitric oxide.
4. They Reduce Free Radicals
Walnuts contain at least 16 different polyphenols, including three tannins that have remarkable antioxidant power. Before a 2004 study, we didn't know that walnuts contained all these nutrients. These tannins are effective antioxidants, protecting LDL cholesterol molecules from being oxidized by free radicals. In previous studies, researchers have found that many polyphenols in walnuts, especially gallic and ellagic acids, had enough antioxidant activity to ward off the free radical threat.
5. They Bring Down Triglyceride Levels
Omega-3 fatty acids help your heart in a number of ways, including reducing high triglyceride levels. In fact, some believe that bringing triglycerides down is the most important cardiovascular role they serve. Triglycerides are often grouped together with cholesterol, because they are a type of fat that tends to damage arteries and lead to heart disease. Having a diet high in omega-3s has been proven by many studies to reduce triglyceride levels by as much as 30%.
6. They Can Help With Type 2 Diabetes
Researchers found that adding walnuts to a low-fat diet significantly improves fat and cholesterol levels for patients with type 2 diabetes. They looked at 58 adult diabetics, who received 30% of their energy from fat. One group included 30 grams of walnuts per day (a huge amount). All groups in the study ate fish and five daily portions of fruits and vegetables. Compared to the others, patients eating walnuts had a much greater increase in good (HDL) cholesterol, and less bad (LDL) cholesterol. The results showed that walnuts have large amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids, and improved the cholesterol situation of people with type 2 diabetes.


Ros, E., et al., "A walnut diet improves endothelial function in hypercholesterolemic subjects: a randomized crossover trial," CirculationApril 6, 2004; 109(13): 1,609-14.
Fukuda, T., Ito, H., Yoshida, T., "Antioxidative polyphenols from walnuts (Juglans regia L.)," Phytochemistry August 2003; 63(7): 795-801.
Diabetes Care 2004; 27: 2,777-2,783.

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