We’ve all had our fair share of experiences with walnuts; remember how we’d recklessly use a walnut-infused scrub thrice a week and think we’re doing good to our skin? The harsh, gritty and sharp-edged walnut particles did more damage to our skin than anything else – the micro tears on your cheeks are proof.
And so, walnuts attained a bad rep sooner than I thought. But, is the ingredient that bad? Or, did we just use it wrongly all this while? Tbh, it’s the latter. Walnuts help. We’ve wasted enough time indulging in walnut scrubs, whereas walnut oil is what we should’ve focused on. The cold-pressed extractions of the premium nut is supposedly close to being magical for the skin, with benefits that you may not wanna miss. Here’s all about walnut oil for your skin – uses, benefits and more.
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The Background Of Walnut Oil
Even if not in the rightest direction, walnuts have been around the circumference of the beauty space for a while now. Grown and relished in the hills in sundry ways, walnut oil, as a beauty ingredient, is on its way to becoming a skincare hero. “Walnut oil is fairly new in the Indian beauty space since it’s been a very local thing up in the hills and didn’t reach the masses for the longest time,” states Shubhrata Anil, Co-owner & CEO, Trikuta Oils. She also tells the best method of procuring walnut oil, “It is extracted by cold pressed method.” So, just as norms tell us, cold pressed oils are always better than refined ones.
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Why Walnut Oil? What Are The Benefits?
Obtained by pressing walnuts, also known as Juglans regia, the oil is a powerhouse of moisture and nourishment, courtesy of the umpteen vitamin E and fatty acids that it contains. And so, it can relieve the skin from dryness, dullness and give it a softer and more supple feel. “Since walnuts are naturally filled with antioxidants, magnesium, natural omega 3 and vitamin E, this oil helps in reducing inflammation on skin. It is known to delay ageing and control wrinkles on the face,” tells Shubhrata. She also highlights the benefits of the ingredient for the hair and scalp, “Walnut oil works wonders on itchy, scaly scalps with dandruff.” Since it offers intense nourishment, it makes for a great ingredient to strengthen the barrier, curtail itchiness (a major concern during monsoons) as well as maintain overall hydration.
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Here’s What You Should Know
Being a natural oil, not many caveats come along with the walnut potion. “Walnut oil works wonders on itchy, scaly scalps with dandruff and has the ability to treat skin-related fungal diseases,” suggests Shubhrata. However, she advises to use the oil sparingly if you have very oily skin and scalp to avoid excess sebum. She also shares a tip and her fave DIY recipe:
– Use it as a before shower oil by applying on the skin minutes before taking a shower. It leaves the skin soft and supple.
– Walnut oil mixed with coffee powder is an amazing natural scrub.
14 Amazing Health Benefits Of Walnuts
Walnuts have been touted as the ‘brain food’ because they resemble one with their furrowed appearance. The funny thing is that research has proved that consuming walnuts regularly does improve brain function. Easy to add to the diet, they are very rich in nutritional content. They are better than most other nuts, even almonds because they have a high amount of polyunsaturated fat, vitamins, and minerals like potassium, iron, zinc, and magnesium. Fibre-rich and antioxidant-rich, walnuts trump all the other dry fruits on all accounts. Here are some of the benefits of walnuts. Add them as part of salads, over desserts or have them just as a snack.
- Anti-Cancer
Walnuts can combat the risks of cancer. They are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and other antioxidants which have been proven to fight cancer. Walnuts are especially beneficial for prostate, breast and pancreatic cancer.
- Heart Healthy
Walnuts abound in monounsaturated fatty acids like alpha-linolenic acid and linolenic acid. They encourage a healthy lipid supply. Bad cholesterol gets lowered and increases good cholesterol levels. They are also beneficial in reducing high blood pressure.
- Support Good Body Composition
Because they are high in fibre, walnuts make you feel fuller much after you have consumed a handful. They are very rich in protein and help in healthy weight loss.
- Good For Diabetes
Having walnuts can reduce the risk of developing Type II diabetes. They provide an excellent serving of protein, healthy fat and fiber. Since they do not add to the kilos, diabetics can have them without worry.
- Boost Metabolism
A handful of walnuts can provide a boost to a sluggish metabolism. They are replete with essential fatty acids and help with digestion, growth and development and other metabolic processes.
- Good for the Bones
Walnuts help with the increased absorption of calcium in the body. They also reduce the excretion of calcium during metabolic processes.
- Anti-Inflammatory
Walnuts have anti-inflammatory properties. Many diseases like diabetes, rheumatism, arthritis, and others are because of inflammation. Consuming walnuts every day helps in combating these diseases better.
- Good for Digestion
Walnuts are fibre-rich. Because of this, they help clean the gut and help detoxify the body. They all bulk to the stool and combat constipation.
Fun fact! Having more health-promoting bacteria and other microbes can improve the health of your gut. One way of doing that is to consume walnuts. An unhealthy microbiota can result in inflammation in your gut, which can increase the risk of obesity, cancer and other chronic diseases. Hence, eating walnuts can prevent this from happening. For instance, incorporating it into your daily diet can increase butyrate-producing bacteria, which is a fat that improves gut health.
- Beneficial for the brain
No, we are not saying walnuts are good for your brain just because they might look like one. There have multiple studies that prove the benefits of walnuts for brain functioning. For instance, the nutrients found in the nut may play a role in preventing oxidative damage and inflammation inside the brain.
Some research was done through observing adults which pointed out the role of walnuts in improving their brain functioning, including better memory, faster processing speed, and overall mental flexibility.
Despite all these affirmations, more studies on the walnuts’ benefits on the human brain are still needed. In the meantime, you can always munch on some as they are good for you anyway.
10. Induce Sleep
Walnuts help in the production of melatonin. It is a hormone that helps induce sleep. Have as an after-dinner snack and sleep like a baby.
11. Improve Fertility
Walnuts help in the production of sperms and improving the quality of sperms. They add to their vitality and mobility.
12. Good for Skin and Hair
Free radicals in the environment cause the most damage to the body. They are responsible for creating dryness and wrinkles in the skin. Walnuts help fight these free radicals. Regular consumption of walnuts helps in reducing the dark circles under the eyes.
13. Helpful in Pregnancy
For proper fetal growth, pregnant women should take in sufficient amounts of folate. Walnuts are rich in Vitamin B complex and help with the healthy growth of the fetus.
14. Helps in male reproductive health
Research suggests that amongst the many health benefits of walnuts, supporting sperm health and male fertility can be one of them. Studies done on animals suggest that eating walnuts can protect the sperm by reducing oxidative damage on their membranes. It is a given that extensive studies are required to confirm the nut’s role in improving male reproductive health. However, if you are someone who is concerned, you can always include a couple of walnuts in your daily diet.
Some ways to have walnuts
Apart from the traditional way of enjoying the healthy snack one by one, there are some other ways to consume it as well:
- The crushed form can be used to coat fish or chicken.
- Can be roasted and added to your homemade trail mix.
- You can sprinkle some on salads.
- You can lightly roast them in your favourite stir-fry dish.
- You can finely dice them and add in some dips and sauces.
Sources:
https://pharmeasy.in/blog/12-amazing-health-benefits-of-walnuts/
https://www.femina.in/beauty/skin/walnut-oil-is-an-ayurvedic-beauty-hero-heres-why-230876.html
https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/7-health-benefits-walnuts-704205
https://www.eatingwell.com/article/2060840/health-benefits-of-walnuts/
