WALNUTS

WHAY IS A WALNUT?
A WALNUT IS AN EDIBLE FRUIT FROM A TREE THAT ARE  BI-LOBED INSIDE A SHELL. THEY ARE THOUGHT TO HAVE COME FROM THE MOUNTAINS IN CENTRAL ASIA AND THE SOUTHERN PART OF EUROPE.
THERE ARE AT LEAST, 30 DIFFERENT TYPES OF WALNUTS.  THE THREE MOST POPULAR ONES ARE; THE ENGLISH OR PERSIAN WALNUT,  THE BLACK WALNUT, AND THE  WHITE OR BUTTERNUT WALNUT.
COMMERCIALLY, THEY ARE GROWN IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ROMANIA, FRANCE, TURKEY AND CHINA.WALNUTS ARE USUALLY READY FOR HARVESTING BY AUGUST WHEN THEIR THICK GREEN HULL BEGINS TO CRACK  OPEN EXPOSING  THE LIGHT-BROWN, HARD-SHELLED WALNUT INSIDE.EACH NUT IS SPHERICAL IN SHAPE AND WEIGHS  BETWEEN 10-15 GRAMS.
STRUCTURALLY, WALNUTS  CONSISTS OF TWO RIDGED LOBES, OFF WHITE IN COLOUR AND COVERED BY A THIN , LIGHT BROWN LAYER.

NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS OF WALNUTS
# THEY ARE A GOOD SOURCE OF UNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS LIKE OLEIC ACID, ALPHA-LINOLENIC ACID, AND ARACHIDONIC ACIDS. THESE HELP IN LOWERING  BAD CHOLESTROL LEVELS
# THEY  ARE RICH IN OMEGA 3 WHICH CAN HELP TO PREVENT CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE AND STROKES BECAUSE IT  ENCOURAGES A HEALTHY BLOOD PROFILE.
#  SINCE THEY ARE RICH IN  OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS, THEY CAN HELP  TO LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE AND LOWER THE RISKOF CERTAIN CANCERS LIKE  BREAST, COLON AND PROSTATE CANCERS.
#  THEY ARE A GOOD SOURCE OF  SOMEPHYTO-CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES LIKE MELATONIN, ELLAGIC ACID, VITAMIN E, AND  CAROTENOIDS  WHICH HAVE POTENTIAL EFFECTS AGAINST CANCER, AGING, INFLAMMATION AND NEUROLOGICAL DISEASES.
#  RESEARCH REVEILS THAT  WALNUTS HAVE THE HIGHEST  LEVEL OF POPYPHENOLIC ANTIOXIDANTS THAN ANY OTHER COMMON EDIBLE  NUT. EATING AS LOW AS  6-7 WALNUTS A DAY   IS A GOOD WAY OF FIGHTING THE DISEASE CAUSING FREE RADICALS IN THE BODY.
# RESEARCH HAS ALSO SHOWN THAT MEN CAN IMPROVE THEIR SEMEN QUALITY BY EATING 75 GRAMS OF WALNUTS DAILY.
# ALSO,   TYPE 2 DIABETES CAN BE PREVENTED IN WOMEN WHO  TAKE WANUTS BECAUSE OF THE  LARGE QUANTITY OF OMEGA 3 AND 6 FATTY ACIDS IN WALNUTS.
# WALNUTS ARE RICH IN VITAMIN E  WHICH IS ESSENTIAL IN PROTECTING THE  CELL AND MUCUS MEMBRANES. THEY ALSO PROTECT THE SKIN FROM HARMFUL OXYGEN FREE- RADICALS.
#  THEY ARE A GOOD SOURCE OF MINERALS LIKE  MANGANESE, COPPER, POTASSIUM, CACIUM, IRON, MAGNESIUM, POTASSIUM AND ZINC.
#  THEY CONTAIN VITAMINS  LIKE  RIBOFAVIN, NIACIN, THIAMIN, PANTOTHENIC ACID, VITAMIN B6 AND FOLATES.
#WALNUT'S OIL WHEN APPLIED TO THE SKIN, PROTECTS THE SKIN AGAINST DRYNESS.
#IT IS GOOD FOR COOKING AS WELL AS BEING USED AS A BASE OIL FOR TRADITIONAL MEDICINES.
#IT IS USED FOR  MASSAGE AND AROMA THERAPIES.
# IT IS USEFUL IN THE PHARMACEUTICAL AND COSMETIC INDUSTRIES.

WHEN BUYING WALNUTS, GO FOR NUTS THAT  ARE   BRIGHT BROWN, COMPACT, UNIFORM IN SIZE AND FEEL HEAVY. THEY SHOULD BE FREE FROM CRACKS, MOLD, SPOTS AND SHOULD NOT HAVE A RANCID SMELL.
WALNUTS ARE A RICH SOURCE  OF ENERGY AND CONTAIN  HEALTHY NUTRIENTS,MINERALS, ANTIOXIDANTS AND VITAMINS THAT ASSURES A HEALTHY  LIFE.