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From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.<\/p>\n
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.<\/p>\n
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.<\/p>\n
Your support makes all the difference.<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nRead more<\/span><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWalnuts are a simple snack that add a hearty crunch to seasonal baked goods and a complex texture to mixed green salads. <\/p>\n
Nearly a third of the world\u2019s walnuts, used in cooking for thousands of years, around found in California, and the Golden State supplies nearly all of America\u2019s walnut production.<\/p>\n
The tree nut is known for its benefits to multiple vital organs, including the heart, gut and brain. Walnuts contain disease-fighting antioxidants, healthy fats and fiber, according to experts. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe health benefits of walnuts are impressively broad,\u201d registered dietitian Amber Sommer told the Cleveland Clinic.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey definitely deserve a place in your diet. They\u2019re well-known for their healthy fats, and they also have benefits you might not know about, such as improving your gut microbiome.\u201d<\/p>\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>Walnuts have crucial fats and antioxidants that have been shown to protect brain and heart health (Getty Images\/iStock)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nKeeping your gut microbiome – the collection of trillions of bacteria that live in your intestines – happy is crucial to digestive health.<\/p>\n
A nut with heart<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n Recent research has shown the walnut plays a role in guarding against cancer and heart disease, as well as Alzheimer\u2019s disease and depression.<\/p>\n
Walnuts have been shown to improve gut health, with adults who eat 1.5 ounces of walnuts daily for eight weeks showing more beneficial gut bacteria at the end of the trial. <\/p>\n
The nuts are a great source of fiber, with an ounce \u2013 or 12 to 14 walnut halves \u2013 containing two grams, according to the California Walnut Commission. Most American adults only get around 15 grams of the 25 to 30 grams of fiber recommended each day.<\/p>\n
Not-so-fishy fat<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n The type of healthy fats in walnuts, the same omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon, are part of what make them so good for our hearts and brains. <\/p>\n
They have alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA omega-3 fat, which has been shown to slash heart disease risk. Walnuts contain about 2.5 grams of ALA per serving, and just five servings a week can make a difference, according to the Clinic.<\/p>\n
The antioxidants in walnuts, such as immune-protecting vitamin E and plant compounds known as polyphenols, can help to prevent arteries becoming harder and more narrow, which can lead to a heart attack.<\/p>\n
The nuts have also been shown to help prevent inflammation in the brain and improve brain function in adults.<\/p>\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>While walnuts are fairly high in calories, experts say their healthy fat content actually helps weight loss (Getty Images\/iStock)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
Weight-loss winner<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n While walnuts have around 190 calories per serving, the healthy fats and four grams of protein, per one ounce serving, keeps you feeling fuller longer, according to U.C. Davis Health. One 2015 study suggested that this is because the way fat is stored in walnuts prevents the body from holding onto all of the calories.<\/p>\n
The fiber content in walnuts aids weight loss and the fight against heart disease-causing high cholesterol, Dr. Asimin Cheema, an internal medicine doctor and cardiologist with Your Doctors Online, told Parade<\/em>.<\/p>\n\u201cWalnuts contain soluble fiber, which acts like a sponge in your digestive system. As food travels through your gut, this fiber sponge soaks up cholesterol particles, preventing them from entering your bloodstream,\u201d he said. \u201cInstead of going into your arteries, the cholesterol is carried out of your body as waste.\u201d<\/p>\n
The best way to eat walnuts is unsalted and raw, according to U.C. Davis Health. \u201cStick to a single serving of nuts per day or several times a week,\u201d Sommer advised.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more Walnuts are a simple snack that add a hearty crunch to seasonal baked goods and a complex texture to mixed green salads. Nearly a third of the world\u2019s walnuts, used in cooking for thousands of years, around found in California, and the Golden State supplies nearly all of America\u2019s walnut production. The tree nut is known for its benefits to multiple vital organs, including the heart, gut and brain. Walnuts contain disease-fighting antioxidants, healthy fats and fiber, according to experts. \u201cThe health benefits of walnuts are impressively broad,\u201d registered dietitian Amber Sommer told the Cleveland Clinic. \u201cThey definitely deserve a place in your diet. They\u2019re well-known for their healthy fats, and they also have benefits you might not know about, such as improving your gut microbiome.\u201d open image in gallery Walnuts have crucial fats and antioxidants that have been shown to protect brain and heart health (Getty Images\/iStock) Keeping your gut microbiome – the collection of trillions of bacteria that live in your…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8810,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8809"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8809"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8809\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8810"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8809"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8809"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8809"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}