Therapeutic Effects of Walnuts
Modern scientific analysis shows walnut kernels contain 15.4% protein, 40%–63% fat, 10% carbohydrates, along with calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, beta-carotene, riboflavin, and vitamins A, B, C, E. Delicious and oily, walnut kernels are not only nutritious but also possess unique therapeutic effects.
1. Preventing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases
The fat in walnut kernels includes 71% linoleic acid and 12% alpha-linolenic acid—unsaturated fatty acids that purify blood, clear vascular debris, and consume stored saturated fats, thus effectively preventing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
2. Treating gallstones
Gallstones primarily form when dietary mucoproteins combine with calcium ions and unconjugated bilirubin in bile. The pyruvic acid in walnut kernels prevents this combination and dissolves, eliminates, and facilitates excretion of existing stones. Thus, gallstone patients may avoid surgery by eating walnuts daily. Similarly, walnut kernels can be used to treat urinary stones.
3. Anti-aging
Vitamin E in walnut kernels protects cells from oxidative damage by free radicals, recognized by the medical community as an anti-aging substance—earning walnuts the nickname “longevity fruit.”
4. Brain nourishment and intelligence enhancement
Eating walnut kernels nourishes blood vessels, improves appetite, darkens hair, and benefits the nervous system. It serves as an auxiliary remedy for neurasthenia, delays memory decline, and enhances cognitive function.