12 Health benefits of African walnut

By Nneka Nwogwugwu

The African walnut (king of nuts) is mostly found in Nigeria and some other parts of Africa and in the Western part of Nigeria, it is known as “ASALA” while in the Southern part, it is called “UKPA”.

It is one of the well packaged nuts that Mother Nature has blessed us with but most people consume it without knowing its health importance.

Explaining the benefits of walnut in the human body, the National President National Walnut Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NAWAGPMAN), Dr. Austine Maduka in a statement said that eating 75 grams of walnuts a day improves the vitality, motility, and morphology of sperm in healthy men, aged between 21 to 35 years.

Other benefits he explained include:

• Walnut makes skin glow: They are rich in B-vitamins and antioxidants which prevents the skin from free radical damage thereby stopping wrinkles and ageing.

• Good for pregnant women: Pregnant women who eat a diet rich in fatty acids such as those found in walnuts can reduce the baby’s chances of developing food allergies

• Good for the heart: L-arginine content in walnut is very vital for those suffering from hypertension and other heart diseases.

• Boosts sperm production: People eating African walnuts on daily basis are prone to have increased sperm quality. The presence of healthy fatty acids in these nuts such as omega-3 fatty acid among others play a great role in sperm development and fertility boosting in women as well as men. For instance, taking a serving of this nut for over 8 weeks has been shown to boost men’s fertility.

• Weight loss: To shed off that excess body weight, belly fat and reduce body cholesterol, the African walnut is a top choice snack for you. But know that you must stick to the serving size because they are quite high in calories.

• Helps manage sleep disorder: In addition, for those having disturbed sleep especially at night, taking this special nut before bedtime might be that magic pill you need because it increases your melatonin which acts on your brain and signal your body to give you a sound sleep.

• Manages Irregular menstrual flow and ovulation problem: Also, African walnuts are rich in omega 3 Fatty acids which aid to regulate hormone levels and manage menstrual cramps pains. African walnut is completely healthy for men and women. When I say African walnuts, I mean the nuts and all the derivatives.

• Diabetes: African walnut is a healthy snack to help reduce the risks of type 2 diabetes. According to a research, women who consumed 28 grams of walnuts twice for a week, were 24% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes.

• Improves brain function: Walnut fruit is a good source of vitamin B-6 also known as pyridoxine which helps the human brain to function properly and improves cognitive ability. The healthy fats and pyridoxine in African walnuts are key facilitators to improving cognitive function. Growing kids should tap from this benefit as well.

• Boosts immune system: With the high antioxidant and iron content of African walnut, you are sure to ward off infections, anemia and even eye related problems by just consuming a serving of this nut daily.

• Cancer: African walnuts have been shown to play a vital role in reducing the risks of prostate and breast cancer in humans.

• Helps in fighting insomnia.

• Good for hair health: This is because walnut has biotin (vitamin B7) that helps give strength to hair, reduces hair falling and improves hair growth to certain degree.