Eating walnuts daily provides significant benefits, including improved heart and brain health due to omega-3s and antioxidants, better gut microbiome balance, reduced inflammation, and potential lower risks for some cancers, type 2 diabetes, and improved mood and sleep, but moderation is key (about 1-2 ounces or 30-60g) to avoid digestive issues from their high fat and fiber content.
A serving of walnuts is roughly 1 ounce, or about ¼ cup. However, some studies suggest eating 1.5 to 2 ounces may be beneficial. With this in mind, and considering that walnuts are calorically dense, Kalloo recommends aiming for a handful daily to reap their many health benefits.
Top Health Benefits of Walnuts for Women
Walnuts support heart health. They contain healthy fats that lower bad cholesterol. This helps reduce the risk of heart disease, which is important for women. Walnuts help with brain function.
Excessive consumption of walnuts may cause diarrhea, bloating, stomach pain or kidney stones. Due to the phytic acid they contain, too many walnuts may also inhibit the absorption of dietary iron, calcium and zinc. Recommendation: One ounce (10-14) English walnut halves per day.
This will make it difficult to include enough foods from the other major food groups in your diet. An ounce (30 grams) of walnuts a day has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease. The recommended serving size is a small handful or 1½ ounces (45 grams) a day.
Although walnuts are high in calories, they are also extremely nutritious with a variety of health benefits:
These nutrient-rich nuts can enhance any meal throughout your day. Soaking them all night releases more nutrients, and eating them at breakfast gives long-lasting energy.
Walnuts are undoubtedly healthy, but they're not for everyone. People with kidney stones, those on blood-thinning medications, individuals with digestive issues, those with high uric acid levels, and people aiming for weight loss should be mindful.
Discussion: These data suggest that a daily serving of 40 g of walnuts provides an increase in melatonin which can be beneficial in improving sleep quality and in reducing daytime sleepiness in healthy young adults.
The following are some common uses of walnuts:
Despite adding calories to an ad libitum diet, walnut intake was not associated with weight gain and was actually associated with a nonsignificant decline in waist circumference. This study provides suggestive evidence of a role for walnuts in protecting against diabetes and heart disease in at-risk individuals.
Cashews contain more iron, an important nutrient for women, than many other types of nuts. That's just one reason why cashews are some of the healthiest nuts for women. Cashews are also loaded with heart-healthy fats, protein, fiber, and numerous micronutrients.
Regularly eating a healthy diet that includes nuts may: Improve artery health. Reduce inflammation related to heart disease. Decrease the risk of blood clots, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.
Ultimately, the study found that women who consumed at least two servings of walnuts per week had 20% higher odds of being classified as "healthy agers" compared to those who did not eat walnuts.
Walnuts are rich in fiber, potassium, calcium, magnesium, folate, vitamin E, phytosterols, polyphenols, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) [2]. Walnuts are especially rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and linoleic acid [3].
Potential Health Risks
Both walnuts and almonds, like many other nuts and seeds, contain phytic acid, a natural substance that can bind with certain minerals in the gut and prevent their absorption. This could potentially lead to mineral deficiencies over time if these nuts are a central part of your diet.
Walnuts contain sleep-promoting hormones, such as melatonin. A new study found that eating a handful of walnuts with dinner can improve your sleep. Walnuts contain sleep-friendly compounds like melatonin that help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
According to a study recently published in Food & Function, eating 40 grams (or about 1.5 ounces) of walnuts each day could potentially help improve sleep quality and reduce daytime sleepiness in healthy young adults.
Walnut consumption has been associated with many health benefits, including reduced cardiovascular disease (CVD), coronary heart disease, and type II diabetes, as well as beneficial effects on aging and cancer risk [1].
Worst nuts for your diet
Ounce for ounce, macadamia nuts (10 to 12 nuts; 2 grams protein, 21 grams fat) and pecans (18 to 20 halves; 3 grams protein, 20 grams fat) have the most calories - 200 each - along with the lowest amounts of protein and the highest amounts of fats.
Acute and chronic consumption of walnuts (42.5–85 g/d) has been shown to lower total and LDL-cholesterol concentrations, decrease blood pressure, improve endothelial function, decrease both oxidative stress and markers of inflammation, and increase cholesterol efflux.
Studies have indicated that consuming about a handful of walnuts per day—typically around 28 grams—can be sufficient to reap the cognitive benefits. This amount provides a significant dose of omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and other nutrients without overloading your calorie intake.
Researchers at the University of Reading found that eating 50g of walnuts (a generous handful) mixed into muesli and yoghurt led to faster reaction times throughout the day and better memory performance later in the day when compared to eating an equivalent calorie-matched breakfast without nuts.
Among the numerous dry fruits that contribute to hair health, walnuts stand out as one of the best for promoting hair growth and maintaining overall hair health. This delicious and nutritious nut is packed with essential nutrients that support hair follicles, improve scalp health, and promote stronger, thicker hair.