Walnuts – SuperFood – Overview

While walnuts are the headlining SuperFood nut, all nuts and seeds are significant contributors to good health. It makes sense that these little powerhouses are rich sources of a wide variety of nutrients — they are, after all, nature’s nurseries.

Think of it this way: A nut or seed is basically a storage device that contains all the highly concentrated proteins, calories and nutrients that a plant embryo requires in order to flourish.

However, walnuts are the SuperFood headliner of nuts for a number of reasons. They are one of the few rich sources of plant-derived omega-3 fatty acids (alpha linolenic acid, or ALA) along with canola oil, ground flaxseed and flaxseed oil, soybeans and soybean oil, wheat germ, spinach, and purslane. They are also rich in plant sterols, which can play a significant role in lowering serum cholesterol levels. They are also a good source of fiber, protein, magnesium, copper, folate and vitamin E. Finally, walnuts exhibit the highest overall antioxidant activity.

While walnuts benefits are considerable, almonds and pistachios are also very beneficial. And don’t forget the seeds: top-choices include pumpkin and sunflower seeds.

Do remember that nuts are high in calories. One serving of shelled nuts is 1 ounce. One ounce of nuts is 10 to 48 nuts, depending on their size. We like to think of a single serving as a 1/4 cup, and that size serving of nuts provides between 150 and 200 calories.