Walnut Oil Health Benefits

Walnuts are packed with a whole lot of nutrition to become one of the healthiest nuts that can be consumed. Extracts from walnuts, such as walnut oil, are also considered to be of great benefit to the body. Is walnut oil as healthy as walnuts themselves? Walnut oil is a great source of vitamins such as vitamin B complex, vitamin E, and niacin. It is also rich in minerals such as iron, zinc, phosphorus, selenium, and calcium. A powerhouse of nutrients, here are the benefits that walnut oil can offer to you.

Heart Protection
Being a rich vegetarian source of Omega-3 essential fatty acids, walnut oil helps reduce LDL cholesterol (or the bad cholesterol) and increase levels of HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol). Further, it helps maintain the flexibility of arteries and allows for healthy blood circulation. As such, you are protected from all types of heart disease, and kept healthy for longer.

Cancer Prevention
Walnut oil is extremely rich in antioxidants, compounds that are known to fight disease causing free radicals. These are known to particularly aid the development of various types of cancer in the body. The antioxidants help prevent the growth of these free radicals, thereby preventing cancer. However, studies on this benefit of walnut oil are inconclusive and are yet to be looked into deeply.

Aids Weight Loss
Because of its rich Omega-3 content, walnut oil is also known to aid weight loss. This it does by keeping you fuller for longer after consumption. Since walnut oil cannot be cooked, prepare a delicious walnut oil salad dressing that can be enjoyed with a salad of your choice, in order to include it in your diet. The fiber from the salad, along with the walnut oil will help you even get rid of the belly fat that has been bothering you. Just remember to get a regular dose of exercise to make sure it really works.

Memory Improvement
It is said that certain foods resemble specific body parts, and are therefore good for those body parts. As the walnut resembles the brain, it is said that consuming walnuts and walnut oil on a regular basis can improve sharpness and learning abilities, reduce forgetfulness, and generally keep you alert while performing various tasks. Another reason for you to drizzle some walnut oil on your salad and enjoy.

Sleep Quality Improvement
A little walnut oil daily and you will find that the quality of your sleep has greatly improved; this makes walnut oil one of the best remedies for those having trouble falling asleep. One of the many great health benefits of walnuts is that it is capable of enhancing melatonin production in the body, a hormone that is responsible for inducing good sleep. Because of this ability, walnut oil is indirectly capable of reducing depression, stress, and anxiety by promoting quality sleep.

Benefits for Skin
Regular consumption or even topical application of walnut oil is known to ward off the signs of aging, giving you younger looking skin for longer. Further, conditions such as dry, itchy skin, and eczema and psoriasis can be relieved by the use of walnut oil.

The benefits of walnut oil are best attained when it is eaten in its natural form, within a stipulated time period, i.e. 1 year after the bottle has been opened. It should be kept refrigerated at all times. Heating walnut oil is not a good idea as it is likely to turn bitter and lose all its beneficial properties. This is why it is best suggested as a salad dressing. For cooking, you may use a walnut oil substitute such as sunflower oil. You may also use almond or olive oil, oils with similar nutrients as walnut oil. However, these again should not be subjected to high temperatures and should be used in their raw form.

Because of all its nutritive properties walnut oil is definitely one of those foods that you should consume regularly. Make it a part of your diet and the benefits will be for you to see. Just remember that you follow a healthy diet so that the benefits of walnut oil can take effect on your body.

Disclaimer: This Buzzle article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert advice.