Consuming walnuts can lead to better health in old age
MINNEAPOLIS: Rich in protein and other nutrients, walnuts have always been touted as highly beneficial for human health. Now a new study has found that eating walnuts regularly early in life may lead to better health in old age.
In a new study, University of Minnesota researchers examined participants’ 20-year dietary history and 30 years of physical and metabolic measurements.
In the study, they found that participants whose diet consisted of walnuts early in life were more physically active and had a lower risk of developing heart disease as they aged.
Dr. Lynn M. Stephen said the surprising positive effects of walnut diets on their health suggest that the fruit can help people adopt healthy habits and diets into their lifestyles.
Walnuts are the only dried fruit that is a source of omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid. This element is believed to play an important role in heart and brain health and healthy longevity.
Dr. Stephen further said that walnut eaters have a unique body phenotype (observable characteristics of an individual such as height, blood type, etc.). In addition, people who start eating walnuts at an early age have a significantly reduced risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, obesity and diabetes.
