High in Protein and Easy to Digest: 5 Facts About the 'King of Nuts'

If you haven't yet added walnuts to your daily diet, now is the time. Among all nuts, the walnut truly earns its name, offering super properties, including the ability to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) in the blood.

While it's common to think that walnuts directly contribute to weight gain, a study by the American Society for Clinical Nutrition found that the positive benefits of walnuts on obesity outweigh any potential harm. More than 365 people participated in the study, with some asked to add walnuts to their daily intake and others following a low-fat diet without nuts.

In subsequent blood tests, it was found that the group consuming walnuts experienced a significant drop in bad cholesterol levels compared to those who didn’t eat the nuts. Interestingly, researchers also noted a significant decrease in overall cholesterol levels (Total Cholesterol) while good cholesterol (HDL) remained unchanged.

Both this study and others exploring the link between eating walnuts and weight gain found no direct connection. Therefore, researchers concluded that balanced consumption does not lead to weight gain at all.

So why should we include walnuts in our daily menu? Here are five especially amazing facts about them:

1. Rich in omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids, which support numerous biological processes in our body, like building brain cells and maintaining normal brain function.

2. Rich in alpha-linolenic acid, which among other benefits strengthens hair roots, aids in healing open wounds, and preserves our cognitive abilities.

3. High in potassium, which plays many roles: responsible for nerve signal transmission, a key component in nucleic acid creation (DNA), transforms glucose into glycogen (storing it in muscles and the liver), maintains fluid balance in the body, and more...

4. High in vitamin E, magnesium, and zinc—elements that help prevent dementia and heart diseases.

5. Rich in iron—a vital mineral integral to hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to the body's cells. Thanks to iron, which delivers oxygen to our body cells, we can overcome diseases, weakness, and in certain cases even depression and anxiety.