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They are the fruit of the walnut, round or oval, with a challenging and rough skin of a reddish-brown color.
The edible part of its interior has a delightful taste.
If you find nuts tasty, you are not alone. Bacteria in your gut do, too, according to new research.
Another study investigated the prebiotic nature of walnuts and how walnuts help keep you and your stomach healthy.
The researchers found that incorporating walnuts into your diet can have various positive effects on your body, including reducing inflammation and lowering cholesterol levels.
They also found that regular walnut consumption can impact your microbiome, the microorganisms in your gut. This effect could be one of the driving forces behind many health benefits of walnuts.
The researchers divided 18 subjects, eight women and ten men, into two groups in the study. All participants submitted urine samples and took their fasting body measurements, blood pressure, and blood sugar.
They were then put on a carefully controlled base diet. One group supplemented their daily meals with 42 grams of walnut halves and pieces, while the other group did not. This continued for three weeks and was followed by a one-week washout period.
For another three weeks, the initially nut-free group ate walnuts as part of their diet. The other group that initially had walnuts did not.
The fecal and blood samples of the participants were then compared. The researchers noted changes in the population of bacteria within the participants’ stomachs.
The researchers recorded a 49 to 160 percent increase in the Faecalibacterium, Dialister, Clostridium, and Roseburia populations in the walnut group compared to the control group.
Ruminococus, Dorea, Oscillospira, and Bifidobacterium also decreased from 38 percent to 16 percent.
Researchers believe that the nature of walnuts as a prebiotic has something to do with these effects. A prebiotic is a substance that your body cannot digest, but that serves as food for the organisms within your gut.
Consuming prebiotics helps keep the population of beneficial bacteria high while limiting the number of harmful microorganisms that contribute to disease.
Another clinical study published in 2015 revealed that walnuts provide less energy than previously thought.
This was found because the macronutrients in walnuts pass through the small intestine undigested and make their way to the large intestine, where they become food for the microbiota.
Changes in microorganism numbers coincided with decreases in the participant’s LDL cholesterol and non-cholesterol concentrations by seven percent and six percent, respectively.
The writings of the researchers read as follows: “These results suggest that the gastrointestinal microbiota may contribute to the underlying mechanisms of the beneficial health effects of nut consumption, including cardiometabolic and gastrointestinal health.”
More reasons to eat nuts
You will find nuts in a wide variety of dishes, and that is a good thing. These nuts are packed with nutrients that are good for your body.
They contain high levels of vitamin E, which helps maintain optimal cellular health and is ideal for optimal skin and eye function. Walnuts are also rich in B vitamins, particularly pyridoxine (B6), which helps prevent nerve damage, and folate (B9), vital for a healthy pregnancy.
Walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acids in abundance, making them suitable for your brain. Some indications consuming walnuts can help treat Alzheimer’s disease symptoms and restore memory.
