The Crucial Reason You Should Be Eating Walnuts Every Day

We've known for a while that there are a lot of health benefits from foods high in Omega-3s, such as decreased inflammation, better heart health, and improved memory and cognitive abilities. But doctors and scientists have also learned more about antioxidants, and how they protect our cells and organs against the damage caused by free radicals, which can accelerate aging and disease. Nuts and seeds are some of the healthiest foods we can buy, providing a source of Omega-3s and antioxidant support that can be added to various dishes or eaten as is.

But there is something special about walnuts, which contain the highest phenolic content among nuts and the most increased antioxidant activity. There are countless ways to get walnuts into your daily diet: a delicious addition to cookies, in a pie crust, or blended into a healthy dip. And because they contain a high amount of magnesium, they're also a good snack to eat before bed. The nut has so many health benefits that many nutritionists have even begun calling walnuts the newest superfood.

As more people try to eat less or go entirely meat-free and inflation causes many plant-based alternatives to rise in price, there's become a need for more protein options that are easier on the wallet, and walnuts definitely fit that description.

A 3-pound bag of shelled walnuts at Walmart will set you back around $20, which is a steal when we consider that just half of a cup of walnuts daily is enough to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. While some may be worried about eating walnuts daily due to an ounce containing 185 calories and 18.5 grams of fat, walnuts have also been shown to help with feeling full longer. "Eating a handful of walnuts every day is a simple way to promote cardiovascular health. Many people are worried about unwanted weight gain when they include nuts in their diet," Dr. Emilio Ros, Director of the Lipid Clinic, Endocrinology and Nutrition Service, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain told the American Heart Association. "Our study found that the healthy fats in walnuts did not cause participants to gain weight."

But before you start adding walnuts to all your meals and snacks, it's important to remember that walnuts are one of the most common tree nut allergies in the United States, second only to cashews. It's the protein in the nut that people are allergic to, and while it's possible to be allergic to one kind of nut and not another, allergy.org reports that around 50% of children allergic to one kind of tree nut are also allergic to a second kind — or more. If you suspect you have an allergy to one kind of tree nut, talk to your doctor before consuming any others.