The Fascinating Link Between Walnuts and Weight Loss
Is there a link between Walnuts and Weight Loss? The answer is yes. You might also want to ask, can a fatty acid really help you reduce your weight? Well, let’s find out in the next few paragraphs!
The following are the fascinating links between walnuts and weight loss:
Have omega 3 fatty acids
Well, you must know that there are studies that have revealed that not having enough of this essential fatty acid can actually inhibit weight loss. And this essential fatty acid also promotes blood circulation which leads to the enhancement of the fat burning ability as there is increased blood flow to the muscles.
Walnuts benefits include omega 3 fatty acids which provide our body with a wide range of health benefits. Firstly, they are known for their cardioprotective properties. Omega 3 fatty acids prevent our heart from beating erratically, thereby providing sufficient blood circulation and oxygenation to other systems of our body.
Prevent unnecessary clotting
Omega 3 fatty acids are known to prevent unnecessary clotting of the blood inside the arteries. Traveling blood clot or embolus is the most common cause of cardiac attacks in the world.
Also, these essential fatty acids are known to improve blood cholesterol levels by lowering down the LDL (low-density lipoprotein), which is bad cholesterol and by raising the levels of HDL (high-density lipoprotein) or the good cholesterol.
Low levels of LDL means the decreased risk for developing arterial plaques that lead to atherosclerosis. Diabetic individuals can also benefit from the healthful walnuts benefits. A study published in Diabetes Care shows that diabetics who include a daily ounce of walnuts in their diet showed significant improvements in the cholesterol profile.
Improve your health
The walnut tree is regarded as the oldest tree food so it’s not surprising that there are many walnuts benefits for your health. This fact is supported by the archeological discovery of petrified walnut shells. Using carbon dating technology, archeologists were able to date back the walnut shells 8,000 years ago during the Neolithic period.
Roman history also indicated that the walnut is the Royal Nut of their god, Jove, indicating a long and interesting history of walnuts benefits. Originally from Persia, the walnuts were brought into the United States by the Franciscan Monks in the early 1800s and were grown in Central California.
As a matter of fact, ninety-nine percent of the commercial English walnuts supplied in the U.S. today are produced in Central California. Central California is also the major supplier of English walnuts (65%) in the world.
Walnuts benefits may seem hard to obtain because they are hard nuts to crack, but they’re the kind of nuts worth cracking. They are hard on the outside, but they are definitely yummy on the inside. And what makes them even yummier is the fact that the hard nutshell swathes a kernel that’s packed with the essential nutrients needed by our body to function well.
Have higher levels of fats
Generally, nuts have higher levels of fats. A 1/4 cup of walnuts contains approximately 16.30 grams of fat. Nevertheless, don’t fuss. Although walnuts are high in fats, only 1.53 grams of the total fat are saturated fat and the rest are polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats.
One of the walnuts benefits is they are excellent sources of Omega 3 fatty acids. Quarter-Cup walnuts provide approximately 94.58% of Omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated essential fatty acids, in the sense that they can’t be produced by our body, which is why we get them from dietary sources like walnuts.
Not only is omega 3 beneficial for the heart, but it can also be good for our brain, another walnuts benefits. If you take a good look at a walnut, what do you see? You may see that it resembles like a wrinkled brain right? Well, nature didn’t do that to a walnut just for nothing. It was made that way to remind us that walnuts are excellent “brain foods”.
Did you know that 60% of our brain is made up of structural fats? Yes, fats. And in order for our brain to perform its cognitive functions normally, it needs all the essential fats it can get, in this case, Omega 3, from dietary food sources like walnuts. Also, did you know that walnuts benefits stemming from omega 3’s may help prevent neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease?
Sources of protein
If you are worried that walnuts are high in fat, then you should not worry so much because they mostly contain good fats, primarily the omega 3 fatty acids. These good fats are known to help lower the bad cholesterol in the body so do not feel too guilty in having to consume much of the dishes that contain walnuts. It is also important to note that walnuts are also known to be better sources of omega 3 acids since they contain more of this good element compared to other types of nuts.
Reduce the risks of heart disease
There have also been a lot of studies that indicate that walnuts should also be included in the diet of a person who wants to reduce the risks of heart disease. This is because blood vessel elasticity is improved, thus, helping avoid plaque accumulation in the blood vessels.
Although these pieces of evidence show how useful omega 3 is to weight loss people should put emphasis that this essential fatty acid is needed for the body to be healthy. It is true that omega 3 and weight loss are linked but this essential fatty acid can also help reduce heart disease and lower cholesterol.
Contain a substantial amount of calories
Walnuts also contain a substantial amount of calories. This can be very helpful to those who are underweight. They can try including walnuts in their routine diet as it will help them get the required amount of calories. As for those who want to decrease their caloric intake, taking walnuts in moderation is fine.
Conclusion
Walnuts can be eaten as snacks and get you revved up if you want a quick but not messy snack. You can easily buy packages of walnuts and can easily bring them in your bag or purse. Aside from eating walnuts as is, they are also great additions to dishes.