Walnut Crumbs
Source - https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/walnuts
Walnuts 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits
- Nutrition
- Vitamins & minerals
- Plant compounds
- Benefits
- Downsides
- Bottom line
Walnuts (Juglans regia) are a tree nut belonging to the walnut family.
They originated in the Mediterranean region and Central Asia and have been part of the human diet for thousands of years.
These nuts are rich in omega-3 fats and contain higher amounts of antioxidants than most other foods. Eating walnuts may improve brain health and prevent heart disease and cancer (1Trusted Source).
Walnuts are most often eaten on their own as a snack but can also be added to salads, pastas, breakfast cereals, soups, and baked goods.
They’re also used to make walnut oil — an expensive culinary oil frequently used in salad dressings.
There are a few edible walnut species. This article is about the common walnut — sometimes referred to as the English or Persian walnut — which is grown worldwide.
Another related species of commercial interest is the eastern black walnut (Juglans nigra), which is native to North America.
Here’s everything you need to know about the common walnut.
Share on PinterestWalnuts are made up of 65% fat and about 15% of protein. They’re low in carbs — most of which consist of fiber.
A 1-ounce (30-gram) serving of walnuts — about 14 halves — provides the following nutrients (2Trusted Source):
- Calories: 185
- Water: 4%
- Protein: 4.3 grams
- Carbs: 3.9 grams
- Sugar: 0.7 grams
- Fiber: 1.9 grams
- Fat: 18.5 grams
Fats
Walnuts contain about 65% fat by weight (2Trusted Source).
Like other nuts, most of the calories in walnuts come from fat. This makes them an energy-dense, high-calorie food.
However, even though walnuts are rich in fat and calories, studies indicate that they don’t increase obesity risk when replacing other foods in your diet (3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source).
Walnuts are also richer than most other nuts in polyunsaturated fats. The most abundant one is an omega-6 fatty acid called linoleic acid.
They also contain a relatively high percentage of the healthy omega-3 fat alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). This makes up around 8–14% of the total fat content (2Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source).
In fact, walnuts are the only nuts that contain significant amounts of ALA (8Trusted Source).
ALA is considered especially beneficial for heart health. It also helps reduce inflammation and improve the composition of blood fats (8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source).
What’s more, ALA is a precursor for the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, which have been linked to numerous health benefits (10Trusted Source).
SUMMARYWalnuts are primarily made up of protein and polyunsaturated fat. They contain a relatively high percentage of omega-3 fat, which has been linked to various health benefits.
Walnuts are an excellent source of several vitamins and minerals, including:
- Copper. This mineral promotes heart health. It also helps maintain bone, nerve, and immune system function (11, 12Trusted Source).
- Folic acid. Also known as folate or vitamin B9, folic acid has many important biological functions. Folic acid deficiency during pregnancy may cause birth defects (13, 14Trusted Source).
- Phosphorus. About 1% of your body is made up of phosphorus, a mineral that is mainly present in bones. It has numerous functions (15).
- Vitamin B6. This vitamin may strengthen your immune system and support nerve health. Vitamin B6 deficiency may cause anemia (16).
- Manganese. This trace mineral is found in the highest amounts in nuts, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
- Vitamin E. Compared to other nuts, walnuts contain high levels of a special form of vitamin E called gamma-tocopherol (17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source).
SUMMARYWalnuts are an excellent source of several vitamins and minerals. These include copper, folic acid, phosphorus, vitamin B6, manganese, and vitamin E.
