Walnuts are high in polyunsaturated fat, fiber, thiamin, vitamin B6, and minerals such as phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, copper and manganese. In addition, walnuts are a source of iron and potassium (1,2).
It has been proved that a daily intake of 30 g of walnuts contributes to the improvement of the elasticity of blood vessels (3). Walnuts may also help to reduce the risk of heart disease and have also been shown to lower LDL “bad” cholesterol and blood pressure, two major risk factors for cardiovascular disease (4).
Also, evidence from animal and human studies suggests that dietary consumption of walnuts may help improve cognitive function (brain health) and may also reduce the risk of other diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, depression and type 2 diabetes, which are risk factors for the development of dementia (5).
|
Nutrient |
Units |
Value per 100 g |
Value per 28 g, 1 oz (1 handful) |
|
Proximates |
|||
|
Water |
g |
3.52 |
1.00 |
|
Energy |
kcal |
691 |
196 |
|
Energy |
kJ |
2889 |
819 |
|
Protein |
g |
9.17 |
2.60 |
|
Total lipid (fat) |
g |
71.97 |
20.40 |
|
Ash |
g |
1.49 |
0.42 |
|
Carbohydrate, by difference |
g |
13.86 |
3.93 |
|
Fiber, total dietary |
g |
9.6 |
2.7 |
|
Sugars, total |
g |
3.97 |
1.13 |
|
Sucrose |
g |
3.90 |
1.11 |
|
Glucose (dextrose) |
g |
0.04 |
0.01 |
|
Fructose |
g |
0.04 |
0.01 |
|
Lactose |
g |
0.00 |
0.00 |
|
Maltose |
g |
0.00 |
0.00 |
|
Starch |
g |
0.46 |
0.13 |
|
Minerals |
|||
|
Calcium, Ca |
mg |
70 |
20 |
|
Iron, Fe |
mg |
2.53 |
0.72 |
|
Magnesium, Mg |
mg |
121 |
34 |
|
Phosphorus, P |
mg |
277 |
79 |
|
Potassium, K |
mg |
410 |
116 |
|
Sodium, Na |
mg |
0.0 |
0.0 |
|
Zinc, Zn |
mg |
4.53 |
1.28 |
|
Copper, Cu |
mg |
1.200 |
0.340 |
|
Manganese, Mn |
mg |
4.500 |
1.276 |
|
Selenium, Se |
µg |
3.8 |
1.1 |
|
Fluoride, F |
µg |
10.0 |
2.8 |
References:
1.USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Legacy Release April, 2018.
2.Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods.
3.Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 of 16 May 2012.
4.Kris-Etherton PM. Walnuts decrease risk of cardiovascular disease: a summary of efficacy and biologic mechanisms. J Nutr. 2014 Apr;144(4 Suppl):547S-554S.
5. Chauhan, A., & Chauhan, V. (2020). Beneficial Effects of Walnuts on Cognition and Brain Health. Nutrients, 12(2), E550.
