If you are a person who has a penchant for nuts, then you should count yourself lucky. Scientific evidence suggests that consuming various kinds of nuts such as pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, macademia nuts, peanuts, walnuts, cashew nuts can be of immense help to our well-being.
One of the most popular and highly sought nuts is the walnut. Not only are walnuts significant ingredients of the lip-smacking dessert walnut brownie but also you can find your favorite salad topped with walnuts and not to forget the famous coffee-walnut flavored ice-cream offered by Natural’s Ice Cream. A little bitter and slightly tough nut to crack, the walnut can work wonders for our health. 
Walnuts are packed with a number of beneficial compounds. These include omega-3 fatty acids, manganese, copper, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, tryptophan, biotin, Vitamin A to name a few. Walnuts are one of the best sources of the omega-3 fatty acids, which our body is unable to produce. As much as 90.8% of the amount of omega-3 fatty acids required daily by our body can be provided by merely a quarter-cup of the walnuts. The rewards offered by these omega-3 fatty acids include cardiovascular benefits, improved bone health, anti-inflammatory benefits and enhancement of cognitive function.
In addition, ellagic acid is also found in walnuts and this compound is said to promote immune function, have anti-cancerous and antioxidant properties. The high L-Arginine content in walnuts is said to be beneficial for people suffering from hypertension owing to the conversion of arginine to nitric oxide that promotes improved vascular function. If you are having sleepless nights, then walnuts can be of help. Walnuts contain a hormone called melatonin in the bio-available form that has shown to encourage sleep. The melatonin content in walnuts is around 2.5-4.5 ng/gram. In addition, melatonin has antioxidant properties.
Therefore, the next time somebody offers you walnuts, accept them without any fuss and sincerely thank the person giving them, as he is doing your health and you a huge favor.
Image: WHFoods
Via: WHFoods