Knowing nuts, particularly walnuts, are a good source of protein, fat, calcium, and iron, researchers have been investigating these delicious snacks potential use in the prevention of health concerns. Researchers from Pennsylvania State University conducted a study that explored the connection between walnuts and cardiovascular benefits. They found that individuals who replaced other fats in their diet with walnuts enjoyed improvements in cardiovascular health measures. One of these measures, improvements in blood pressure, reduces the likelihood of developing heart disease.
Researchers believed alpha-linolenic acid, a type of omega-3 fatty acid found in plants, might be responsible for these improvements. In following up on that assumption, a new study, published in the Journal of Nutrition, has suggested that including walnuts in the diet may lead to improved heart health.
Increasingly these improvements may be related to changes and gut bacteria. Throughout the study, researchers took fecal samples from participants. The samples showed that consuming 3 ounces of walnuts enriched important bacteria like Roseburia. Roseburia has been associated with protection of the gut lining. Additionally, E. eligens, a bacteria associated with lower cardiovascular risk, increased in number on diets, including walnuts.
Participants in the randomized, controlled trial included 42 people age 30 to 65 who are obese or overweight. First, researchers asked participants to follow a standard Western diet for two weeks. Next, participants were split randomly into three groups. One group ate whole walnuts as one usually would. The second group consumed alpha-linolenic acid without the walnut itself, in the same amount as one would typically consume. Group three ate a diet free of walnuts or alpha-linolenic acid. The groups follow these diets for six weeks.
Though the improvements for the walnut consuming groups were significant, no such findings were reported for the walnut-free group.
This study reminds us that small changes to the diet can have a big impact. If, for example, one was to replace an unhealthy snack with walnuts, one could improve the health of their heart. People without allergies should consider ways to add these delicious snacks to their routine.
Sources: Mayo Clinic, Journal of Nutrition