Walnut is the kind of nut to always have around. Walnuts have many fantastic health benefits and one of them is that they are good for our brain/memory. In fact, we may probably say walnuts are for the brain as fish oil is for the heart.

Before we talk about where to buy walnuts and different ways it can be consumed, let’s first talk about the evidence that supports that walnuts are good for our memory.

Scientific Research That Suggest That Walnuts Are Good for the Memory

In a research carried out by Haider S. et al.⁽¹⁾, it was found that there was a significant improvement in the memory of those rats that have been given walnuts over a period of 28 days compared to those that were not given.

This research suggests that walnuts help memory.

In another research carried out by Pribis P. et al⁽²⁾, it was found out that there was an increase in inferential reasoning of individuals who were given walnut-supplemented diet as compared to those who were not. However, it was also found that walnut does not appear to improve the memory, mood or non-verbal reasoning abilities in young, healthy adults.

This research suggests that although walnuts may not boost all parts of human memory, it can actually help with inferential reasoning.

By the way, let us define inferential reasoning.

Inferential reasoning can crudely be called deductive reasoning. Inferential reasoning is a process of constructing new premises or generalizations based on knowledge or thinking using one’s experience or data but without the use of formal statistical procedures. Formal statistical procedure includes P-values, t-test, etc.

In another study conducted by L. Arab et al.⁽³⁾, it was found that there is positive associations between walnut consumption and cognitive functions among adults (both young and old adults).

This further strengthens the fact that walnuts are the food items to always have in your home if you want a good memory.

Going by the research mentioned above, we can infer that walnuts consumption may improve your memory over time.

Don’t forget that walnuts also have some other health benefits apart from helping your brain.

So, you stand to gain a lot of benefits by including walnuts in your diet.

Other Benefits of Walnuts

Some other health benefits of walnuts are mentioned below:

1. Walnuts are good for the heart

In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition⁽⁴⁾, it was found that including walnuts in one’s diet can improve blood lipid profile without adversely affecting the body weight or blood pressure.

In another research carried out by Kris Etherton PM⁽⁵⁾, it was found that walnut improves endothelial function and also increases cholesterol efflux.

2. Walnut has antioxidant properties

In research published by the Royal Society of Chemistry⁽⁶⁾, nuts (especially walnuts) were said to have “both antioxidant quantity and efficacy and exhibit significant potential health benefits”.

 However, in another research (pilot study) published in Nutrition Journal⁽⁷⁾, it was found that walnut did not “significantly change the plasma antioxidant capacity of healthy, well-nourished older adults”. “However, improvements in linoleic acid and pyridoxal phosphate were observed with chronic consumption, while total plasma thiols were enhanced acutely.”

Anyway, the research calls for further studies.

Going by the two pieces of research cited above, we have reasons to believe that walnut actually has antioxidant properties.

With all these benefits, it is clear walnuts are good for human health.

It is a good idea to consider including walnut in your food for better brain and body. However, we will recommend you consult your doctor before you begin to consume walnuts if you have a certain health condition.

What is Walnut Price?

Generally, in the US, the price of walnut is less than a dollar per ounce. The price of the walnut usually depends on the seller and the place where you are buying it.

Where to Buy Walnuts in Your Area

The first place we will recommend is the local farm store in your area. You can inquire from your friends and family members about the local farm stores around you.

You can also get walnuts from a grocery store. Look for grocery stores around and ask if they have walnuts.

Another place to get walnuts is online markets. For example, Amazon carries many varieties of walnuts and you should be able to easily buy walnuts from this online store.

And if you have decided not to buy walnuts, you can also grow them. This is not impossible. Just be ready to put efforts and you will also have to wait for about 10 years before you begin to reap the nuts.

Forms in Which You Can Eat or Take Walnuts

In this section, we are going to be mentioning various ways to eat walnuts and how to roast it. We don’t want to just tell you that walnuts are good for your brain and body, we want to also tell you various forms you can take walnuts. We believe if you can’t take the raw walnut, you should be able to take the roasted one or the walnut milk. We believe by the time you finish this section of the article, you should know which form of walnuts you will like most.

Please endeavor to consult your doctor before you include walnuts in your diet if you have any health condition.

Raw Walnut

A raw walnut is an unprocessed form of walnut. It may be shelled or unshelled.

Shelling and unshelled walnuts:

1. Put the walnuts in a container big enough to contain all the walnuts you want to shell.
2. Wash the walnuts with water, if needed.
3. Soak the walnut in water for one to two hours. You can use hot water to soak them so as to soften the shell faster.
4. Use a dry clean towel to dry the surface of the walnut so that it is easier to handle.
5. Use a nutcracker to crack the shell of the walnuts. If you don’t have a nutcracker, you can use a small hammer. But make sure you clean the hammer before using it and also make sure you are careful so that you don’t break the actual nut inside the shell.

Raw Walnut Recipe

Servings: 1

Ingredient(s):

• 40 grams of shelled walnut

Instructions:

1. Make sure that the walnuts are shelled and not spoilt.
2. Enjoy the raw walnuts.

Chopped Walnut

After you have removed the shell of walnuts, you can chop it into smaller sizes using a knife. To do this:

1. Get a clean knife and a cutting board.
2. Put a handful of shelled walnuts on cutting board.  If you want to chop a lot of walnuts, please chop them in batches.
3. Just as you chop vegetables, carefully place the mouth of the knife (around the tip of the knife) on the board (at an angle) and then move the knife down on the nuts. Do this until you chop all the nuts. If you are not used to chopping food items, please exercise great care while chopping the nuts so as not to cut your finger in mistake.

Roasted Walnut

We will now be discussing how to roast or toast walnuts. To do this you would need the following ingredients:

1. 150 grams of walnut, chopped
2. 1-3 spoons of olive oil or vegetable oil

Instructions:

1. Use the olive oil or vegetable oil to coat the walnuts.
2. Using a put a large frying pan on a stovetop.
3. Then put the coated walnuts on the frying pan and continue to stir so that the walnut does not get burnt. You can also use an oven to heat the walnut. Simply put the coated walnuts on a baking sheet and put it in the oven at 300 Fahrenheit and check the walnuts often so that they don’t get burnt.
4. Let the walnut stay on the stovetop for 5 to 10 minutes or until the walnuts become golden brown.
5. Wait for the walnuts to cool down and then serve and enjoy.

Pro tip: Use a thick frying pan as the thin one can easily burn the walnuts.

Walnut Milk

Another way you can take walnut is to use is to make milk and then drink the milk. To make walnut milk, you would need the following ingredients:

1. 150 grams of shelled walnut
2. 4 cups of water

Instructions:

1. Wash the walnut in clean water.
2. Soak the walnut overnight.
3. In the morning, get your blender and put the walnuts inside it.
4. Pour the four cups of water into the blender. Blend until you get a consistent mixture.
5. Sieve the milk out of the blended mixture using a suitable sieve. An example of a sieve you can use is the nut milk bag. You have to squeeze the bag so that you get all the milk out.
6. Pour the milk into a suitable container.
7. Drink and enjoy.

Six Facts about Walnuts Infographic

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References

1. Haider S, e. (2019). Effects of walnuts (Juglans regia) on learning and memory functions. – PubMed – NCBI . [online] Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22048906 [Accessed 4 Dec. 2019].
2. Pribis P, e. (2019). Effects of walnut consumption on cognitive performance in young adults. – PubMed – NCBI . [online] Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21923981 [Accessed 4 Dec. 2019].
3. A, A. (2019). A cross sectional study of the association between walnut consumption and cognitive function among adult US populations represented in NHANES. – PubMed – NCBI . [online] Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25732213 [Accessed 4 Dec. 2019].
4. Guasch-Ferré, M., Li, J., Hu, F., Salas-Salvadó, J. and Tobias, D. (2018). Effects of walnut consumption on blood lipids and other cardiovascular risk factors: an updated meta-analysis and systematic review of controlled trials. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 108(1), pp.174-187.
5. PM, K. (2019). Walnuts decrease risk of cardiovascular disease: a summary of efficacy and biologic mechanisms. – PubMed – NCBI . [online] Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24500935 [Accessed 5 Dec. 2019].
6. Vinson, J. and Cai, Y. (2012). Nuts, especially walnuts, have both antioxidant quantity and efficacy and exhibit significant potential health benefits. Food Funct., 3(2), pp.134-140.
7. McKay, D., Chen, C., Yeum, K., Matthan, N., Lichtenstein, A. and Blumberg, J. (2010). Chronic and acute effects of walnuts on antioxidant capacity and nutritional status in humans: a randomized, cross-over pilot study. Nutrition Journal, 9(1).