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Unique way to include walnuts for better health
Saturday, July 28, 2007
By For The Madera Tribune
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| Walnut shaking takes place during harvesting at Cobb Ranch in Madera County. |
| Photo by: Wendy Alexander |
The next time you reach for salad greens and dressing, consider adding walnuts.
Research out of the University of Texas Health Science Center shows that walnuts contain a fair amount of melatonin, a hormone that protects cells against oxidative damage.
"The ingredients in walnuts would be expected to reduce the incidence of cancer, delay or make less severe neurodegenerative diseases of aging, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, and reduce the severity of cardiovascular disease."
Dr. Reiter's study points to walnuts as a potent source of melatonin, which is easily absorbed in the body.
"When walnuts are consumed, blood levels of melatonin increase threefold," notes Reiter. Studies have shown walnuts reduce the risk of heart disease due to their recombination of healthy nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids and the melatonin that makes them so beneficial.
"Melatonin and omega-3s, both of which are in walnuts, starve cancers because they prevent the growth of cancer cells. When you take melatonin as a tablet, you are exclusively getting melatonin. I think the value of the walnut is the composite of what it contains."
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Ramona Frances contributed to this article.
