Crazy about walnuts...

(Published on 20 February 2007 in 'Women at Work' - W @ W - a supplement of the Daily Mirror, Colombo, Sri Lanka)

My neighbour has a terrific photogenic memory. Aunt Sheila will not only remember what you served her for a meal ten years ago but will also recollect the colour of the table mats you had used. While I struggled with dates, she would remember the exact date on which her third born lost his fourth tooth. I needled her to reveal her secret – and all she came up with was – walnuts! Aunt Sheila believed that as walnuts looked like the brain – they were good for the brain. Now I truly don’t know whether there’s much truth in that – but I did decide to research a bit and find out why she was so nuts about walnuts!

Walnuts are the rounded, single-seeded stone fruits of the walnut tree which is a member of the Juglandaceae family. The walnut is enclosed in a green, leathery husk which is inedible. Inside the husk is the wrinkly walnut shell, which is in two halves, and encloses the kernel. The Romans considered certain nuts to be food of the gods. During the Renaissance, walnuts were used to treat head ailments because of their close resemblance to the brain. (That explains where my Aunt Sheila got her facts from.) Walnuts grow in France, Germany, Hungary, Switzerland, India, China, North America, Australia and New Zealand. Walnuts need to be dried after harvesting. However, fresh walnuts taste a lot better than ones that have been kept for long. Walnuts can be over-dried, which spoils their flavour and makes them taste rancid.

Is eating a handful of walnuts every day one of the easiest ways to improve ones diet and health? The latest news about walnuts will make you want to – well, go nuts! When eaten as a part of a healthful diet, walnuts promote healthy cholesterol levels and healthy arteries. Walnuts have been identified as one of 14 ‘Super Foods’ because of their high omega-3 content. Walnuts are the only nut that contain a significant amount of omega-3s. No other nut matches the nutrition value of a walnut! They are low in saturated fats, have no cholesterol, and are high in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats (the good fats) which can lower ‘bad’ cholesterol levels (LDL). Walnuts also contain iron, minerals and fibre, and contain no sugar. People who ate nuts once a week are known to have a 25% less chance of a heart disease than people who avoided nuts completely.

Walnuts are also known for their high antioxidant activity. Antioxidants help counteract the effects of oxidation, a process that is constantly occurring in the body. Naturally occurring antioxidant enzymes work to protect our cells and our DNA from oxidative damage. Oxidative stress occurs when the body’s natural defences can’t keep up with oxidative damage. Daily processes like breathing, eating, exposure to pollution, and over-exposure to sunlight can all create oxidative stress. One way to combat oxidative stress is to eat more antioxidant-rich foods, like walnuts.

Dr. Steven Pratt, Scripps Memorial Hospital, San Diego, and author of the best-selling book “Super Foods Rx” recommends including the nutrient-rich walnuts in our daily diet to promote good health and longevity. In his words: “What’s the single easiest, most delicious and health-promoting snack food on the planet? My vote goes to walnuts…”

I’ve started seeing a close resemblance between squirrels and my Aunt Sheila. They both have very prominent incisors, are quick and sharp in their reactions and above all the two of them love nibbling at nuts all day long!

Miss Know-All
miss.know.all@gmail.com