We all want to age gracefully and live our best lives, but did you know that eating walnuts can really impact healthy aging? It’s true.
Walnuts have numerous nutritional properties that aid in physical and mental health and benefits for skin, hair, and even reproductive health. They’re a good source of healthful fats, protein, and fiber with numerous advantages.
Let’s Get Physical
As people age, it’s essential to have good physical functioning to maintain mobility and independence. A healthy diet that includes walnuts may help preserve physical function, such as walking and self-care abilities as one grows older. While walnuts are high in calories, they are also packed with essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, fats, and plant compounds that support good physical functioning during aging. They also boost the immune system and lower the risk of cancer.
Keeping your wits and faculties about you are equally important as you grow older. And that’s where walnuts come into the picture. The smart money is on walnuts for boosting brainpower. Walnuts contain nutrients that help protect your brain from damaging inflammation and support good brain function as you age. Both omega-3 fatty acids and polyphenols contained in walnuts are considered critical brain foods. They counteract oxidative stress and inflammation, which can lead to cognitive decline. Eating walnuts improves brainpower, including faster processing speed, more mental flexibility, and enhanced memory.
The Beauty of Walnuts
The healthy fats in walnuts, specifically omega-3 fatty acids, help make skin smoother and younger feeling while the vitamin E supports skin repair and fights wrinkles. Additionally, inflammatory agents, B complex vitamins, vitamin E, riboflavin, niacin, and protein are essential for the health of skin cells and are contained in walnuts. They also help your skin fight aging by boosting collagen production and blood circulation.
For example, walnut oil can help fight major skin issues such as acne, wrinkles, and dark spots. The significant amounts of antioxidants and vitamins in walnuts have skin-enhancing properties and can help tighten skin pores, remove hyperpigmentation, and reduce acne. And it’s not just eating walnuts or using what’s inside the shell that matters.
The exterior of walnuts can be an effective skin exfoliant because of their texture and vitamin E content. Walnut face scrubs are great for cleansing pores and getting rid of excess debris, dead skin cells, and dirt from the skin’s surface.
Let’s Talk about Walnuts, Baby
The reproductive benefits of consuming walnuts may be surprising. But, eating walnuts regularly may help counteract the potentially harmful effects of less-than-ideal eating habits on sperm health. Because a diet of high-processed foods, sugar, and refined has been linked to reduced sperm function, eating walnuts may help support sperm health and male fertility. One study found that consuming 75 grams of walnuts a day improves the vitality of sperm in healthy men ages 21 to 35.
In addition, eating walnuts may help to prevent abnormal sperm growth or what is called sperm morphology. This is important when a couple is trying to get pregnant. Plus, women who become pregnant can also benefit from eating walnuts. Walnuts contain a great deal of vitamin B, which is essential for the health and growth of the fetus. Low vitamin B levels can lead to issues during pregnancy and beyond, so it’s critical for pregnant women to snack on some walnuts to help keep those levels up.
No one wants to grow old or face a decline in their health. We’re always looking for ways to reduce aging and feel younger. One simple and delicious way to improve your health is simply eating or adding walnuts to your daily routine.
