Commenting on the health benefits of walnuts, Dr H K Chopra, President of Cardiological Society of India said, "Walnuts are one of the richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids, with 2.5 grams of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) per serving.
Several studies have suggested that regular consumption of walnuts helps in effective weight management.
"Any successful weight management plan must include satiety factor and owing to the high fibre content, walnut is undoubtedly the right food to consider if you are into a weight management programme."
Naini Setalvad, Nutritionist and health consultant said, "Consuming a diet comprised of walnuts is the key to healthy living. Incorporating walnuts into meals and snacks is a simple, delectable and convenient way to help ensure adequate protein intake, especially among vegetarians. One ounce of walnuts provides four grams of protein, and two grams of fibre. The fibre aspect helps make you feel full, promotes weight management, and can assist in lowering cholesterol and regulating blood glucose levels."
To reach their conclusion, Baer and his research team studied 18 healthy adults. Each person was assigned randomly to a sequence of two diets: a controlled American diet without walnuts for a 3-week period, and a controlled diet with 1.5 servings of walnuts (42 grams) for another 3-week period.
Total calorie levels were consistent for individual participants across both treatment periods. Administered diets, walnuts, fecal and urine samples were collected and subject to bomb calorimetry, to measure calories, and the resulting data were used to calculate the metabolisable energy of the walnuts.
The study provides insight into the growing body of research supporting the beneficial role walnuts play in weight management.
In addition to providing a convenient source of fibre (2 grams per ounce) and protein (4 grams per ounce), walnuts are the only nut that contain a significant source of alpha-linolenic acid (2.5 grams per ounce), a plant-based omega-3 fatty acid with heart and brain-health benefits.
Further research is needed to better understand the results of the study and how this technique for calculating calories could potentially affect the calorie count of other foods, Baer said.
The study was supported in part by funds from the USDA and the California Walnut Commission.
