Walnuts listed as superfoods for its health benefits

Walnuts come packed with a plethora of health benefits and also make it to the superfoods list.

Including them in your daily diet may help ward off cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic inflammation. Moreover, research suggests, walnuts as part of a healthy diet may play a role in helping to maintain and improve physical and cognitive health as people age.
An initiative by California Walnuts, ‘Power of 3', urges people to include at least three handfuls of these nutty delights in their weekly diet. Here are the top three reasons to include walnuts in your diet:

Good fats

Walnuts are predominantly made up of good, unsaturated fats including the essential omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid. Of the 18g of total fat in 28g of walnuts, 13g are polyunsaturated and 2.5g are monounsaturated, making them an ideal choice for a good-fat-food. According to FSSAI's Eat Right Guidelines, one must replace saturated and trans fat with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats naturally found in nuts, fish, and vegetable oils.

Plant-powered protein

Consuming a variety of foods, including differently coloured seasonal vegetables and fruits, is essential to maintain a balanced diet. Protein can be found in plant foods such as nuts, seeds, legumes, pulses and soy-based foods. Plant proteins can be mixed and matched with other sources including seafood, lean meats and poultry, eggs, and dairy to help provide the balanced nutrition you need. One-fourth cup walnuts are equal to 4g of satisfying plant-based protein.

Nutrients
Walnuts offer a spectrum of beneficial nutrients that fit a variety of eating plans from Mediterranean and vegetarian to lower carbohydrate diets. Beyond good fats and plant protein, they are a natural source of antioxidants, gluten-free, and lower in carbohydrates (4g total per 28g, including 2g of fiber).

They can enhance almost any healthy eating plan to support an active lifestyle and provide the staying power you need to go the extra mile.

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Mediterranean diet during pregnancy may lower gestational diabetes risk

Women who follow a Mediterranean-style diet during pregnancy, including a daily portion of walnuts and almonds, and extra virgin olive oil, may have a lower risk of gestational diabetes, a study claims.

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that is first seen in a pregnant woman who did not have diabetes before she was pregnant.

The results of the research found women who followed a Mediterranean-style diet during pregnancy had a 35 per cent lower risk of gestational diabetes and on average gained 2.75 pounds less, compared to women who received standard prenatal care.

A Mediterranean-style diet rich in good, unsaturated fats, found in foods like walnuts and extra virgin olive oil, has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death in adults, according to researchers.

Walnuts, in particular, are a traditional food in the Mediterranean diet because of their omega-3 ALA content and bio-active compounds, they said.

While there has been extensive research on the Mediterranean diet to date, the diet's potential to improve maternal and offspring outcomes has not been widely evaluated, making this study particularly valuable.

The study included 1,252 multi-ethnic inner-city pregnant women with metabolic risk factors, including obesity and chronic hypertension.

In addition to receiving folic acid and vitamin D supplementation, the women were randomly assigned to either a Mediterranean-style diet or a control group that received dietary advice per UK national recommendations for prenatal care and weight management during pregnancy.

Those who followed the Mediterranean diet consumed a daily portion of nuts, including 15 grams of walnuts, 7.5 grams of almonds, 7.5 grams of hazelnuts) and used extra virgin olive oil as their main source of cooking fat.

In addition, the diet emphasised fruit, vegetables, non-refined grains and legumes; moderate to high consumption of fish; small to moderate intake of poultry and dairy products; low intake of red meat and processed meat; and avoidance of sugary drinks, fast food, and food rich in animal-based fat.

Participants received dietary advice at 18, 20, and 28 weeks' gestation to help improve compliance and make sure the diet was made culturally sensitive.

The researchers measured dietary compliance using self-reported feedback from the participants, so it's important to note that there could have been human error in the reporting.

They also assessed the effect of a Mediterranean diet on other pregnancy complications such as high blood pressure, preeclampsia, stillbirth, small for gestational age fetus, or admission to a neonatal care unit, but did not find any significant associations.

One in four mothers enter pregnancy with pre-existing obesity, chronic hypertension or raised lipid levels, which can lead to pregnancy complications, long-term risk of diabetes and cardiovascular complications for mothers and their children.

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