Delicious Walnut Health Benefits: Advantages for Brain, Heart, Fertility

By Jobee Knight 

Walnuts are perhaps the most famous tree nut of all and have been named the "Healthiest of all Nuts". They are rich in plant-based fats and are a good source of the B-vitamins and many minerals. Even though walnuts are one of the easiest foods to eat, they are also a powerful weapon against chronic diseases. Walnuts can be eaten by the handful as a snack, or in salads, soups, vegetable dishes, baked goods or smoothies.

Due to their uniquely high amounts of healthy fats and potent plant chemicals, recent studies are publishing evidence that walnuts can reduce brain stress, lower cholesterol, increase fertility in men, reduce inflammation, lower the risk of diabetes, strengthen the immune system, and help with insomnia because of the natural melatonin they contain.

Supporting the claim that walnuts are the healthiest nut is a recent study from the journal "Food and Function". The researchers evaluated nine types of raw and roasted nuts and they found walnuts to contain the highest levels and quality of antioxidants. An "antioxidant" is a substance in food or vitamins that neutralizes the harmful effects of oxygen in the body. These "oxidative" effects contribute to aging and disease.

English walnuts offer powerful benefits to brain health. A study called "Role of Walnuts in Maintaining Brain Health with Age" was published in the Journal of Nutrition. The researchers wrote that walnuts not only reduce the inflammatory load on brain cells, but they also improve communication and connection between the brain cells themselves - helping to maintain good brain health with increasing age.

For a healthy heart and long life, walnuts have been shown to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease and also extend life spans in general. Walnuts contain the amino acid l-arginine, which offers protective benefits for the heart. A quarter cup of walnuts contains about 1,130 milligrams of l-arginine. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reviewed 13 heart studies and found that the people eating walnuts benefited from a significant decrease in overall cholesterol and had major benefits in the quantity of antioxidants available to them.

Walnuts have been proven to improve fertility and reproductive health. The medical journal "Biology of Reproduction" conducted a study of 117 healthy men and found that eating around a half-cup of walnuts each day produced an increase in healthy fats in the bloodstream and greatly improved the health and vitality of sperm.

Walnuts can be a good sleep inducing food. Russel Reiter, Ph.D., a professor of cellular biology at the University of Texas says, "Relatively few foods have been examined for their melatonin content. Our studies demonstrate that walnuts contain melatonin, that it is absorbed when it is eaten, and that it improves our ability to resist oxidative stress caused by toxic molecules."

Eating walnuts regularly can be a delicious and simple way to prevent disease and take advantage of their many health benefits.

Jobee Knight is President of Nutrition Breakthroughs. She has written nutrition articles and provided effective natural remedies since 2001. These remedies include the natural sleep aids and joint and pain relief products made by Nutrition Breakthroughs

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A Diet for Diabetics Is Easy to Follow

By Vaughn J Tobes 

If you are looking for an easy diet for diabetics, you are not the only one. Many diabetic patients are looking for the easiest way to manage diabetes. A diabetes diet is normally referred to as MNT which means consuming a variety of foods in moderate amounts. A diabetic diet is a health plan for eating that consists of low calories and high nutrients. In addition to that, it emphasises on a person to eat whole grains, fruits and vegetables. In fact, studies show that a diet for diabetics is the best diet for anybody trying to lose weight.

The Main Purpose of a Diet for Diabetics

If you have diabetes, your physician would advise you to see a nutritionist to assist you in changing your diet plan for that of a diet for diabetics. This is because you need a diet that would control your glucose level and weight.

Studies show that when you consume excess fats and calories, you body's blood glucose rises. If the blood glucose is not controlled, it may result in kidney failure, heart attacks, nerve failure and other chronic diseases. Changing to a diet for diabetics is very important as it will assist you in managing your blood glucose and a way of tracking it. It is important especially for people with type 2 diabetes, as these types of diet plans will make it easy to control the glucose levels in the blood. If you also want to lose weight, a diet for diabetics plan is the best way to achieving that.

What Does a Diet for Diabetics Consist of?

A diet for diabetics should be one that is based on your goals, health, lifestyle and taste. If you are unable to come up with a plan, you should consult the services of a registered nutritionist. Generally, the diabetic's diet should include firstly healthy carbohydrates. When you eat sugar and starches, they turn into glucose, which is not very good for your health. Concentrate on healthy carbohydrates such as fruits, lentils, beans, peas and whole grains.

Any diet for diabetics should also contain food rich in fibre. These are kinds of food that your body cannot absorb or digest. It is important as it controls blood sugar and also decreases the risk of heart attack. Example of such kinds of foods includes legumes, nuts, fruits, wheat bran and whole flour.

A proper diet for diabetics should also include fish. Diabetic patients are advised to consume fish at least twice a week. This is very beneficial as fish can be a good option to red meat. Such kinds of fish include tuna, cod, herring, mackerel and salmon. These types of fish have low-fat and are high in omega 3 fatty acids. Medical studies advise that one should not eat fish, which are high in mercury levels. Examples of these are the swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish.

Lastly is that your diet should have good fats. These include almonds, walnuts, peanut oil, avocados, canola and olive oil. These are very nutritious and also help in lowering the cholesterol level. Note that when cooking with such oils, you should only use a small amount as all fats contain calories.

When creating any type of diet for diabetics, avoid foods that are high in saturated fats. These are mainly animal products such as beef, sausage, hot dogs and bacon. You should also avoid trans fats. These are normally found in snacks, margarine, baked food and shortening products. They increase the levels of cholesterol, which is not very good for the body.

In conclusion, if you find it hard coming up with diet for diabetics eating plan, consult a nutritionist who will teach you how to measure the portions, how to count carbohydrates and how to maintain an overall healthy lifestyle.

The Best Diet for Diabetics

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