In recent health research and scientific studies it was found that walnuts in fact lower the level of (LDL) or bad cholesterol in subjects that consume 1 ounce of walnuts per day. This research study was conducted over the course of 6 months and published in the BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care journal this past November.
It’s been found that an ounce of walnuts, sometimes a little less, is likely to contribute greatly to the much needed “good” fats and calories that you should put into your body on a daily basis, according to Dr. David Katz, the lead author of the study and the founding director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center in Derby, Connecticut.
The Science of Walnuts
Although walnuts are inarguably high in calories, it is the responsibility of the consumer to already have an adequate diet and fitness plan in place to justify the added fats or calories from a diet including walnuts—just like other essential daily fruits and vegetables. Science has recently argued that the benefits of walnuts far outweigh the negative-sides and even indicate a likelihood of weight-loss through the consumption of walnuts.
If you’re looking to lose weight and enhance your health, walnuts are likely one of many viable solutions in doing so. According to continued scientific experiments and observations, walnuts effectively lowered not only bad cholesterol, but also glucose levels and improved blood-vessel function—which is essential to the operation and sustainability of your heart (a vital organ for life).
Making sense of your Diet with Nuts
If you’re seriously committed to improving your health and effectively managing your weight, then walnuts could be the perfect solution! While it’s important to consume up to one ounce per day, it’s also recommended that you continue adequately monitoring your other fats, sodium, and glucose intake on a daily basis to optimize your health.
It is scientifically impractical and irresponsible to rely on or believe that just one nutrient or essential vitamin could, alone, on a daily basis contribute to effective weight loss or better health. While these studies clearly demonstrate the health benefits of walnuts, they also outline the importance of proper sleep, diet, nutrition, and exercise.
For example, if you are still consuming 3,000 calories per day or more, including multiple McDonald’s meals, then no, it’s unlikely you will experience health benefits or weight loss by adding walnuts to your diet on a daily basis.
We must rely on ourselves, science, research, and fitness professionals and experts to lay down the framework to further understand how we can most precisely care for our bodies health and future.
While walnuts are rich in fat to an extent, your daily diet should consist of up to 20%-35% of calories from fat anyway. With that being said, in addition to the walnuts, this should lay down the framework and a deeper understanding of how to fill the remaining percentage void with healthy, more natural foods and nutrients to meet your 100% consumption of daily fats and calories. Making sense of all of this, it’s worth ending on the note that individuals that consumed one ounce of walnuts per day overall improved their diets, with or without dietary counseling. This implies that walnuts fill a sodium and fat-oriented hunger void throughout the day, discourages unhealthy snacking, and makes way for a healthier you!
Image credits: Viktoriya Chursina