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Walnuts

Walnuts
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A walnut is an edible seed of any tree of the genus Juglans, especially the Persian or English walnut, Juglans regia. Broken nutmeats of the eastern black walnut from the tree Juglans nigra are also commercially available in small quantities, as are foods prepared with butternut nutmeats from Juglans cinerea.

Walnut seeds are a high density source of nutrients, particularly proteins and essential fatty acids. Walnuts, like other tree nuts, must be processed and stored properly. Poor storage makes walnuts susceptible to insect and fungal mold infestations; the latter produces aflatoxin—a potent carcinogen. A mold infested walnut seed batch should not be screened and then consumed; the entire batch should be discarded.

Walnuts are rounded, single-seeded stone fruits of the walnut tree. The walnut fruit is enclosed in a green, leathery, fleshy husk. This husk is inedible. After harvest, the removal of the husk reveals the wrinkly walnut shell, which is in two halves. This shell is hard and encloses the kernel, which is also made up of two halves separated by a partition. The seed kernels — commonly available as shelled walnuts — are enclosed in a brown seed coat which contains antioxidants. The antioxidants protect the oil-rich seed from atmospheric oxygen thereby preventing rancidity.

The two most common major species of walnuts are grown for their seeds — the Persian or English Walnut and the Black Walnut. The English Walnut originated in Persia, and the Black Walnut is native to eastern North America. The Black walnut is of high flavor, but due to its hard shell and poor hulling characteristics it is not grown commercially for nut production. The commercially produced walnut varieties are nearly all hybrids of the English walnut.

Walnuts are late to grow leaves, typically not until more than halfway through the spring. They also secrete chemicals into the soil to prevent competing vegetation from growing. Because of this, flowers or vegetable gardens should not be planted too close to them.

The husks of walnut contain a juice that will readily stain anything it comes into contact with. It has been used as a dye for cloth.

Eating about 28 walnut halves a day provides antioxidants and phytosterols that may help reduce the risk of breast cancer, according to a study at the Marshall University School of Medicine in West Virginia. Mice were fed a daily diet with the human equivalent of two ounces of walnuts. Compared to mice fed a control diet, the walnut eaters had significantly decreased breast tumour incidence and a slower rate of tumour growth.

A diet rich in omega-3s is beneficial in reducing depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease and there’s also strong evidence that omega-3s counter inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease.

Women who reported eating one ounce of nuts at least five times per week reduced their risk of type 2 diabetes by almost 30 percent compared to those who rarely or never ate nuts, say researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health. The mono- and polyunsaturated fats in nuts are good for insulin sensitivity.

A new study from the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania shows walnuts have higher quality antioxidants and a mix of more healthful antioxidants than any other nut.

A diet rich in walnuts and walnut oil may help the body deal better with stress. Research published last year in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that walnuts and walnut oil lowered both resting blood pressure and blood pressure responses to stress in the laboratory. The researchers said the study shows that a dietary change could help our bodies better respond to stress.

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Nutrition Data for Nuts, walnuts, english (12155)

Proximates
NutrientNutrient value per 100 gm1 cup, chopped1 cup, ground1 cup, in shell, edible yield (7 nuts)1 cup shelled (50 halves)1 cup pieces or chips1 oz (14 halves)
Water4.07 g4.7619 g3.256 g1.1396 g4.07 g4.884 g1.153845 g
Energy654 kcal765.18 kcal523.2 kcal183.12 kcal654 kcal784.8 kcal185.409 kcal
Protein15.23 g17.8191 g12.184 g4.2644 g15.23 g18.276 g4.317705 g
Total lipid (fat)65.21 g76.2957 g52.168 g18.2588 g65.21 g78.252 g18.487035 g
Carbohydrate, by difference13.71 g16.0407 g10.968 g3.8388 g13.71 g16.452 g3.886785 g
Fiber, total dietary6.7 g7.839 g5.36 g1.876 g6.7 g8.04 g1.89945 g
Sugars, total2.61 g3.0537 g2.088 g0.7308 g2.61 g3.132 g0.739935 g
Minerals
NutrientNutrient value per 100 gm1 cup, chopped1 cup, ground1 cup, in shell, edible yield (7 nuts)1 cup shelled (50 halves)1 cup pieces or chips1 oz (14 halves)
Calcium, Ca98 mg114.66 mg78.4 mg27.44 mg98 mg117.6 mg27.783 mg
Iron, Fe2.91 mg3.4047 mg2.328 mg0.8148 mg2.91 mg3.492 mg0.824985 mg
Magnesium, Mg158 mg184.86 mg126.4 mg44.24 mg158 mg189.6 mg44.793 mg
Phosphorus, P346 mg404.82 mg276.8 mg96.88 mg346 mg415.2 mg98.091 mg
Potassium, K441 mg515.97 mg352.8 mg123.48 mg441 mg529.2 mg125.0235 mg
Sodium, Na2 mg2.34 mg1.6 mg0.56 mg2 mg2.4 mg0.567 mg
Zinc, Zn3.09 mg3.6153 mg2.472 mg0.8652 mg3.09 mg3.708 mg0.876015 mg
Vitamins
NutrientNutrient value per 100 gm1 cup, chopped1 cup, ground1 cup, in shell, edible yield (7 nuts)1 cup shelled (50 halves)1 cup pieces or chips1 oz (14 halves)
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid1.3 mg1.521 mg1.04 mg0.364 mg1.3 mg1.56 mg0.36855 mg
Thiamin0.341 mg0.39897 mg0.2728 mg0.09548 mg0.341 mg0.4092 mg0.0966735 mg
Riboflavin0.15 mg0.1755 mg0.12 mg0.042 mg0.15 mg0.18 mg0.042525 mg
Niacin1.125 mg1.31625 mg0.9 mg0.315 mg1.125 mg1.35 mg0.3189375 mg
Vitamin B-60.537 mg0.62829 mg0.4296 mg0.15036 mg0.537 mg0.6444 mg0.1522395 mg
Folate, DFE98 µg114.66 µg78.4 µg27.44 µg98 µg117.6 µg27.783 µg
Vitamin B-120 µg0 µg0 µg0 µg0 µg0 µg0 µg
Vitamin A, RAE1 µg1.17 µg0.8 µg0.28 µg1 µg1.2 µg0.2835 µg
Vitamin A, IU20 IU23.4 IU16 IU5.6 IU20 IU24 IU5.67 IU
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)0.7 mg0.819 mg0.56 mg0.196 mg0.7 mg0.84 mg0.19845 mg
Vitamin D (D2 + D3)0 µg0 µg0 µg0 µg0 µg0 µg0 µg
Vitamin D0 IU0 IU0 IU0 IU0 IU0 IU0 IU
Vitamin K (phylloquinone)2.7 µg3.159 µg2.16 µg0.756 µg2.7 µg3.24 µg0.76545 µg
Lipids
NutrientNutrient value per 100 gm1 cup, chopped1 cup, ground1 cup, in shell, edible yield (7 nuts)1 cup shelled (50 halves)1 cup pieces or chips1 oz (14 halves)
Fatty acids, total saturated6.126 g7.16742 g4.9008 g1.71528 g6.126 g7.3512 g1.736721 g
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated8.933 g10.45161 g7.1464 g2.50124 g8.933 g10.7196 g2.5325055 g
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated47.174 g55.19358 g37.7392 g13.20872 g47.174 g56.6088 g13.373829 g
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg0 mg0 mg0 mg0 mg0 mg
Others
NutrientNutrient value per 100 gm1 cup, chopped1 cup, ground1 cup, in shell, edible yield (7 nuts)1 cup shelled (50 halves)1 cup pieces or chips1 oz (14 halves)
Caffeine0 mg0 mg0 mg0 mg0 mg0 mg0 mg
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 2013. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 26. Nutrient Data Laboratory Home Page
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Ruth.Frittelli2015-04-11 14:40 (9 years ago.)

ads are horrible! Can't go to nutrition and scroll across without it Jumping to the next item..PLEASE FIX ISSUES. Other than that the app has a lot of useful info.