Eating healthy is imperative for both physical and mental health. As does your heart and other important parts of your body, your brain also requires specific nutrients that give it a boost. Enter Walnuts. How does it help enrich your grey matter? Read below to find out:

Better working: It is no coincidence that walnuts look like the brain. Every bite feeds straight into your brain fueling activity and increased efficiency.  Helping with inferential reasoning and critical thinking, these magic nuts can help students ace their tests. So if you are looking to increase your IQ, you have your answer!

 

Nutrition: Out of all the nuts that are considered healthy, walnuts are especially rich in Omega 3 and have a higher concentration of DHA that play an integral role in brain health. Walnuts are full of healthy lean protein, polyunsaturated fats, and are a powerhouse of polyphenols. Walnuts also contain manganese, copper, iron, phosphorous, magnesium, and calcium—all nutrients which are important to good mental health.

 

 

Clear cognition: Walnuts are antioxidant store houses. They can decrease the enhanced vulnerability to stress that occurs during aging, increase life span, and also stimulate cognitive and motor function in aging. They help reverse the process of age related memory decline and are even used to cure certain neurodegenerative mental diseases like Alzheimer’s.

 

 

Mood Boosters: If you think coffee lifts you up or keeps you awake, try a fist full of walnuts. Not only do they help in ensuring happy spirits and an active thought train, they also counter low spells associated with depression and anxiety. Popping a few walnuts can instantly make you active and help you react better to external stimuli.

 

Control Blood Pressure:  Walnuts are great to get more blood pumping to your brain. Like flax seeds, it helps thin the blood so the heart finds it easy to maintain pace. Added bonus, it also reduces LDL or ‘bad cholesterol’ and improves blood vessel cell wall function.

 

Incorporating walnuts in your diet is easy and simple. Apart from including it in your salads as a topping, you can easily blend them with your smoothies. It also serves as a quick snack when frozen with honey or paprika. You could also consider using it in baking when making banana bread or cookies. A quick tip though – remember to remove the skin as it may taste bitter!

 

References:

http://www.brainhq.com/brain-resources/brain-healthy-foods-nutrition/nuts-brain-health

http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/06/walnuts-the-ultimate-brain-food.html