Eating a handful of walnuts daily may help improve the nutritional quality of a diet and reduce diet-related inflammation, according to a clinical trial conducted by researchers at Loma Linda University School of Public Health.
The study examined how different foods influence inflammation in the body, finding that participants who regularly consumed walnuts experienced a reduction in dietary inflammation.
The two-year clinical trial involved 319 older adults who were divided into two groups. One group consumed between 28 and 57 grams of walnuts daily, while the other group did not include walnuts in their diet. Neither group was instructed to make other dietary changes.
After two years, researchers found that the walnut-consuming group had significantly lower levels of inflammation compared with the group that did not eat walnuts.
The findings suggest that incorporating walnuts into a regular diet may offer health benefits, as chronic inflammation is associated with an increased risk of several serious conditions, including cardiovascular disease.
Researchers noted that walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, polyphenols and other nutrients. These compounds may also influence biological processes involving gut bacteria, which play a role in producing substances associated with mood regulation.
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