Walnuts: The New Superfood

All nuts are great for you but almonds have been getting all the attention—until now. According to new research, walnuts—which are high in omega-3 fatty acids—may be the most nutritious nut of all. I was listening to Dr. Michael Greger’s Nutrition Facts podcast this morning and when he said, “Not eating walnuts may double our risk of dying from heart disease compared to at least one serving a week,” I knew I had to find out more.

Here’s what I learned: A recent study conducted by Penn State University researchers and published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that participants who ate walnuts daily for 6 weeks not only lowered their cholesterol but significantly lowered their blood pressure. The specific combination of fats and polyunsaturated fatty acids in walnuts may be the reason. In a previous Yale University study, walnuts were found to improve flexibility of the arteries, an important measure of arterial health. Plus, in that study, participants did not gain weight from adding 2 ounces of walnuts to their regular diet every day for 8 weeks. In fact, every study in which scientists added nuts to people’s diets without trying to restrict calories, the participants not only didn’t gain weight, some even lost weight. 

I keep mason jars full of almonds, walnuts, and pistachios (my three faves) in my pantry and eat them every day—in yogurt, on salads, or by the handful. But I’m going to eat walnuts a little more often now. . .