Affordable Super Food: Benefits and Features of Walnut

If you care about your health, pay attention to the walnut, the benefits of which were well known since ancient times. In ancient Greece, kernels were called royal and were forbidden to eat for ordinary citizens. After all, even then people believed that the product improves mental abilities and memory. In the Caucasus, the plant has long been called a sacred tree, widely used in cooking and medicine. We suggest finding out what other “bonuses” a walnut can bring to the body.

Nutritional value and calorie content of walnut

100 g of walnuts contain 15–16 g of protein, 60 g of fat and 10–11 g of carbohydrates. Vegetarians often use this product as a substitute for meat and fish. A handful of nucleoli interrupts the appetite for 2-3 hours and helps prevent overeating.

Most of the fats in walnuts are polyunsaturated: omega-3 and omega-6. With normal metabolism, they are not stored in fat reserves, but energize the body, improve the condition of the skin, hair, nails.

Due to the presence of the lysine enzyme, proteins from nuts are perfectly absorbed. Their regular use has a beneficial effect on the state of the muscular system and physical endurance.

Walnut refers to high-calorie foods. 100 g of nucleoli contain up to 660 kcal. Therefore, they can not be abused. Eat up to 30 g per day, which is equivalent to 7 whole nuts or 14 halves.

The chemical composition of walnut kernels

By the content of vitamins, macro- and microelements, nuts, as a rule, are superior even to fruits and berries. A walnut is considered one of the most useful plants in the family of walnuts.

Table 1. The composition of the walnut

Walnut kernels are also rich in dietary fiber, which, when it enters the intestines, swells and draws in excess fat, toxins, and then is removed from the body. Dietary fiber favorably affects the intestinal microflora, relieves a person of dysbiosis, constipation and other disorders of the digestive tract.

What are the health benefits of walnuts?

In the human body it is difficult to find a system that would not benefit from the use of walnuts. Due to its rich chemical composition, the product supports the normal functioning of internal organs.

Beautiful appearance

Women who want to remain young and beautiful after 40–45 years old should include walnuts in their diet. The kernels contain a large number of chemical compounds that improve the condition of the skin, hair, nails.

Of particular value to women are vitamin E, biotin, folic acid, iron and zinc. They are rich in omega-3 nuclei and fatty acids, which help fight dermatological problems.

Keen mind

The appearance of walnuts hints to people that the product benefits the brain. The reason is the high content of B vitamins.

Nuts relieve nervous strain, help a person concentrate, and improve short-term and long-term memory. It is useful to eat them for schoolchildren and students in preparation for exams.

Healthy blood vessels and heart

Walnut reduces the level of "bad" cholesterol in the blood, increases the strength of blood vessels, prevents the appearance of atherosclerotic plaques. In people with hypertension, the product lowers blood pressure and normalizes heart rate. For medicinal purposes, you need to use nuts daily for 45 days.

Type 2 diabetes prevention

With walnuts, the blood glucose level remains stable. In addition, the sensitivity of body cells to insulin improves. That is, the product reduces the risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

For the prevention of these diseases in folk medicine, the following recipe is used:

1. It is necessary to mix nuts with buckwheat flour in a ratio of 1: 5.
2. In the evening, add 1.5 tablespoon of the mixture with kefir and leave in the refrigerator for the night.
3. The next day, divide the product into 3 servings and consume each 30 minutes before the main meal.

Strong bones

It is good to eat walnuts after 50 years. With age, the bones become more fragile, which leads to an increased risk of fractures.

In addition, the product has anti-inflammatory properties. It improves the condition of arthritis, gout and other chronic diseases of the joints, helps relieve pain.

Normal digestion

The composition of the kernels contains oil, which has laxatives, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and antiparasitic properties. Therefore, the product is useful in the following cases:

• chronic constipation;
• dysbiosis;
• helminthic infestations;
• gastritis, stomach ulcer.

Walnuts normalize appetite. They help fight sharp bouts of hunger and cravings for high-carb foods.

Reduced risk of anemia

Walnuts are rich in substances that are involved in the process of hematopoiesis. With their deficiency, a person develops anemia (anemia). This is a disease that is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• general weakening of the body;
• apathy;
• hair loss;
• decreased performance.

At risk are pregnant women. They definitely need to include nuts in their daily menu to make up for the lack of iron and folic acid.

Who will harm walnuts?

The main harm of nuts is high calorie content. If you consume more than 50-100 g of nucleoli per day, you can quickly gain weight. In addition, walnut belongs to strong allergens. If you have never eaten this product before, introduce it into the diet gradually, starting with 3-4 nuts per day.

Walnut has practically no contraindications. Doctors advise limiting its use in obesity and exacerbation of chronic diseases of the digestive tract. In diabetes, it is forbidden to mix nut kernels with honey and dried fruits.

How to choose and store?

If you want to bring the body the maximum benefit, buy inshell walnuts. They better retain vitamins in the composition and are stored longer.

A quality product has the following features:

• the shell has a uniform color;
• no cracks, black spots, white coating;
• when shaking, the sound of rolling nucleoli is not heard.

Hold the nut in your hands. It should not seem too easy. Such a sign indicates long-term storage and drying of the nuclei inside.

Please note that manufacturers process peeled nuts with chemicals to increase their shelf life. Otherwise, the kernels quickly become rancid or are attacked by pests.

Try to buy nuts with a light color, as they are more recent. Before use, peeled kernels are recommended to soak in cold water for 10-15 minutes.

Inshell nuts should be stored in canvas bags or airtight containers. At room temperature, the shelf life is 6 months, in the refrigerator - 1 year.

It is better to pour peeled nuts immediately into a glass container. Shelf life at room temperature - 2 weeks, in the refrigerator - 1 month.

Culinary use of walnuts

Walnuts are widely used in cooking, especially in the Caucasus. There, from the nucleoli, sweets are prepared: sweets, halva, cakes, cakes. Unripe fruits are rich in ascorbic acid, so go to the manufacture of fortified jams and preserves. If you also want to cook something tasty from nuts, check out the recipes below.

Vitamin Blend

Take 100 g of raisins, prunes, dried apricots and walnuts. Pass all ingredients through a meat grinder or grind in a blender. Add 3 teaspoons of honey and juice of one lemon, mix.

The vitamin mixture is stored in the refrigerator for no longer than 1 month. To strengthen immunity and prevent anemia, use 1 teaspoon before each meal.

Walnut dessert with honey and cinnamon

Walnut dessert will replace your unhealthy sweets and cookies. But keep in mind that it is very high in calories.

To prepare a treat, prepare the following ingredients:

• walnuts, cashews, almonds - 100 g each;
• ginger - 30 g;
• vegetable oil (sunflower, olive or coconut) - 1 tbsp. a spoon;
• a mixture of spices "Garam Masala" - 20 g;
• ground cinnamon - 5 g;
• honey - 3 tsp.

Pour the vegetable oil into the pan and lightly heat it. Pour in Garam Masala, Ginger. After 30 seconds, put the whole nuts in the pan and, stirring constantly, sauté for 5 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a separate container. Add honey (if it crystallizes, pre-melt it in a water bath). Season the finished dessert with cinnamon.

Beetroot salad with nuts

This dish is very useful for hypertensive patients. To prepare a salad, take the following ingredients:

• beets - 2 pieces of medium size;
• nuts - 30 g;
• sour cream - 2 tbsp. spoons;
• garlic - 1 clove;
• salt.

Boil the beets in a peel, peel. Rub with garlic on a fine grater. Add crushed kernels, sour cream, salt, mix thoroughly.

Thus, walnuts are useful not only for the brain, but also for the appearance, cardiovascular system, digestive tract, musculoskeletal system.They can be used as an independent snack or used to prepare desserts, salads, and other delicious dishes. Now nuts are available for sale all year round. Do not deny yourself the pleasure of enjoying this useful product.