FIVE Proven Health Benefits of Walnuts

Walnuts are a healthy nut chock-full of essential nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants. They’re also easy to incorporate into your diet.

Walnuts provide healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals — and that’s just the beginning of how they may support your health.

Benefits of walnuts
1. Rich in antioxidants
Walnuts have greater antioxidant activity than any other common nut.

This activity comes from vitamin E, melatonin, and plant compounds called polyphenolsTrusted Source, which are found in particularly large amounts in the papery skin of walnuts.

2. Super plant source of omega-3s
Walnuts are significantly higher in omega-3 fatty acids than any other nut, providing 2.5 grams (g)Trusted Source per 1-ounce (oz) serving.

Omega-3 fats from plants, including walnuts, is called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). It’s an essential fat, which means you have to get it from your diet.

According to the Institute of Medicine, an adequate intake of ALA is 1.6 g per day for men and 1.1 g per day for women. A single servingTrusted Source of walnuts meets this guideline.

3. May decrease inflammation
InflammationTrusted Source, which can be caused by oxidative stress, is the root of many diseases, including:

1. heart disease
2. type 2 diabetes
3. Alzheimer’s disease
4. cancer

The polyphenols in walnuts can help fight oxidative stress and inflammation.

4. May reduce risk of some cancers
Animal and a few human studies suggest that eating walnuts may reduce your risk of certain cancers, including breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer.

As noted earlier, walnuts are rich in polyphenols called ellagitannins. Certain gut microbes can convert these to compounds called urolithins.

Urolithins can have anti-inflammatory properties in your gut, which may be one way that eating walnuts helps protect against colorectal cancer. These anti-inflammatory actions could also help protect against other cancers.

5. Support good brain function
It may be just a coincidence that the shell of a walnut looks like a tiny brain, but research suggests that this nut may indeed be good for your mind.

Animal and human studiesTrusted Source suggest that the nutrients and antioxidants in walnuts may help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation by reducing free radicals.