Walnuts

Walnut is a tree belonging to the Nut family, which bears fruit of the same name, with a height of 4 to 25 meters and more. The diameter of its stem reaches 1.5 meters, its crown is large, wide and rounded.

Its leaves are large with a length of 20-40 cm and fall in late autumn, they have a specific aroma from the essential oils. The flowers of the tree are small and greenish.

The fruits have a thick tough-fibrous skin and a tough shell underneath. Upon reaching maturity, the skin of the walnut fruit dries up, splits into 2 parts and separates from it. However, the shell does not fall on its own.

Nutritional value of 100 grams of walnuts

• Proteins – 16.2 grams;
• Fats – 60 grams;
• Carbohydrates – 11 grams;
• Mineral salts – 2 grams;
• Water – 4 grams;
• Calorie content – ​​654 kilocalories;

A nutritious, high-calorie food that is characterized by a very high fat content. Since there are 654 kilocalories in 100 grams of walnuts, its excessive consumption may cause obesity and is therefore contraindicated for overweight people.

Beneficial properties

All parts of the walnut plant contain many biologically active substances:

• Bark – triterpenoids, steroids, alkaloids, vitamin C, tannins, quinones – juglone, etc.;

• The leaves – aldehydes, essential oils, alkaloids, vitamin C, nicotinic acid, carotene, phenolic carboxylic acids, tannins, coumarins, flavonoids, anthocyanins, quinones and highly aromatic hydrocarbons;

• The green shell of the walnut fruit – organic acids, vitamin C, carotene, phenolic carboxylic acids, tannins, coumarins and quinones;

In the composition of green walnuts, the presence of vitamin C, B1, B2, niacin, carotene and quinones has been found, and that of mature ones is almost identical, but there is also sitosterol and oil, in the content of which include linoleic, linolenic, oleic, palmitic and other acids, as well as vegetable fibers, iron salts and cobalt.

Despite the huge amount of fat, walnuts help lower cholesterol levels in the blood, and this applies to men to the greatest extent.

A few years ago in America, an experiment was conducted in which a group of volunteers participated. Within the study, 20% of their daily caloric intake came in the form of walnuts.

It was found that the cholesterol levels of the participants decreased by an average of 12%, and the concentration in the blood of the so-called “bad” cholesterol decreased even more.

Ripe walnuts, in addition to being a very useful food, are also a highly active medicine. In terms of calories, they are 2 times better than wheat bread of the best varieties.

Walnuts are recommended for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis, in case of a lack of vitamins and salts of cobalt and iron in the body.

Walnuts are an excellent source of vegetable fiber and a very good raw material for the production of various types of oils.

The ballast substances in walnuts make them a very useful food for the elderly prone to constipation.

Walnuts and their oil increase blood circulation in the genital area and stimulate the formation of sperm.

Contraindications

Walnuts are not recommended for people with individual intolerance and allergies. Nuts contain a lot of vegetable proteins, which can cause an allergic reaction or poor absorption by the body.

These nuts should not be used by people suffering from skin diseases, for example psoriasis and eczema, neurodermatitis, because the substances contained in walnut fruits can cause an exacerbation of these clinical conditions.