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By Monica Summers
Scientists have said that walnut may be the world's healthiest nut.
A study which was presented this weekend at a meeting of the American Chemical Society, showed that walnuts have more healthy antioxidants and higher quality antioxidants than the other nuts. According to the research, people should consume more walnuts as part of a healthy diet.
"Walnuts rank above peanuts, almonds, pecans, pistachios and other nuts," Dr. Joe Vinson, who performed the analysis, stated in a press release. "A handful of walnuts contains almost twice as much antioxidants as an equivalent amount of any other commonly consumed nut. But unfortunately, people don't eat a lot of them."
Antioxidants protect one's body against diseases. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine's MedLine Plus, antioxidants protect cells against the effects of free radicals, or molecules produced when the body breaks down food or through environmental exposures such as tobacco smoke and radiation. Free radicals can damage cells and help cause heart disease, cancer and other diseases.
The BBC has reported that Vinson, a professor with the University of Scranton, had studied nine different nuts. He discovered that the antioxidants in walnuts were two to 15 times as strong as vitamin E, which also acts as an antioxidant. Vinson also said that walnuts which are raw or unroasted is more advantageous since roasting nuts decrements the quality of antioxidants.
The ACS press release also stated that nuts constitute hardly 8 per cent of the daily antioxidants in the diet of an average person. Vinson said that people may be concerned about eating a food high in fat and calories, but nuts contain healthier fats instead of "artery- clogging saturated fat."
He also said that nuts don't appear to cause significant weight gain, but he still suggested that their portions of intake be kept small. Seven walnuts a day is considered good enough for health gains.
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