Walnuts Found to Improve Overall Health

A new study published in BMJ Open Diabetes and Care found that eating walnuts improved overall health in its participants. Dr. David Katz of Yale University wanted to discover if the nutritional benefits of walnuts offset the added calories. The study—which included 112 participants who were at high risk of developing diabetes—had the individuals add walnuts to their diets for six months, then remove them for six months, and examined the results. They found that the quality of the participants’ diets improved, whether or not the individuals adjusted their caloric intake to offset the addition of the nuts. The participants made healthier decisions overall and cut out less nutritious foods such as packaged snacks. Walnuts are a nutrient powerhouse that includes fat, fiber, protein, omega-3s, and vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, iron, and vitamin B-6. “Nuts work because they can make you feel full,” Eric Rimm, professor at Harvard University told Time. “And people are more likely to self regulate the calories they eat when they feel full.”