Thanks to their vitamin and mineral rich content, walnuts deserve their rightful place as one of the top 5 of the most nutrient foods. We highly recommend you to include walnuts in your daily diet. Experts agree that eating 3-4 walnuts daily can dramatically boost your health.
There is also something you can do to double the taste and health benefits of walnuts. This method involves keeping 1.5 walnuts in water for a night and eating them in the morning. Before we take a look at the method in detail, let’s talk about how you can prepare them and share some expert thoughts about whether the water should be consumed or not.
How to prepare soaked walnuts?
When you crack open a walnut, you’ll see the edible part that very much looks like a brain. The amount we need to soak is three half parts. There are people that soak more than this amount but bear in mind that the more walnuts you use, the more calories you will get. A mid-sized walnut has 40 calories. So you’ll be taking approximately 60 calories in one serving. It is also beneficial to add the hard brown membrane between parts to the water. The soaking time is 8-12 hours. So you can soak your walnuts overnight and eat them in the morning. The water should be at room temperature.
Why should I soak walnuts?
When walnuts are soaked in water, their digestibility and nutritional value increase. The vitamins, minerals and the antioxidants in the walnut’s membrane have an increased health effect. Also the phytic acid ratio in the walnuts decreases when they are soaked. Phytic acid lowers the health effects of iron, zinc and magnesium. These minerals will be more beneficial when the walnuts lose some of their phytic acid content.
What about the water? Can I drink it?
There are mixed opinions among experts on this subject. Some experts believe that phytic acid in the water decreases the absorption of iron. So they advise it to be discarded. On the other hand, there is another opinion that people who consume meat regularly and have no problem of anemia can safely drink it. The reason is that the phytic acid is not always considered to be harmful. Some researches show that it can prevent colon cancer, inhibit the formation of kidney stones and lower cholesterol. Phytic acid is also known to be quite effective at preventing osteoporosis according to latest research. So if you have no problem with eating meat and have high cholesterol, you can safely drink the water. Otherwise you can always eat the walnuts and discard the water they were in.
Now let’s take a look at the benefits of soaked walnuts.
1. LOWERS BAD CHOLESTEROL
Walnuts are considered as super food as they are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and plant sterols. They are one of the top 5 most recommended foods for high cholesterol. The others are garlic, apples, oat bran and lemon.
It is claimed that phytic acid in water lowers high cholesterol. This claim is quite within reason as legumes, which are also rich in phytic acid, are known to lower cholesterol.
The phytic acid in the water also inhibits the growth of cancer cells. We remind you once again that in order to drink the walnut water safely, you must be free of anemia and a regular consumer of animal based protein.
2. BENEFICIAL TO CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
Researches indicate that walnuts are quite effective in reducing the severity of cardiovascular symptoms. Walnuts decrease inflammation in the body, improve the blood flow and reduce the number of plaques in the blood. These effects are probably the result of rich antioxidant and healthy fat content of walnuts.
3. GOOD FOR BRAIN, MEMORY AND NERVOUS SYSTEM
The minerals and vitamins in the walnuts strengthen brain functions and lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias. Walnuts also strengthen memory against deterioration in brain functions and age related illnesses. By eating walnuts you can prevent psychological illnesses such as depression as walnuts have the ability to repair deformed cells and nervous system.
4. HELPS WITH WEIGHT LOSS
Thanks to their high protein content, walnuts can keep you full for long periods of time. Additionally, they prevent food or sweet cravings by balancing the blood sugar. Walnut water helps with getting rid of edema. The high amount of omega-3 fatty acids in walnuts has a positive impact on weight loss.
5. BOOSTS ENERGY AND STRENGTENS IMMUNE SYSTEM
Fatty acids in walnuts fight against fatigue and tiredness. If you are on a diet and need a lot of energy during the day, walnuts can be a great support in your diet. There are plentiful minerals that strengthen the immune system in walnuts. So eating walnuts regularly can increase your resistance against diseases and support your overall health.
Sources:
1. https://www.uplifers.com/hububatlarda-bolca-bulunan-fitik-asit-sagligimizi-nasil-etkiler-etkisini-nasil-azaltiriz/
2. https://wholelifestylenutrition.com/recipes/appetizers-snacks/is-soaking-nuts-necessary-how-to-properly-soak-your-organic-raw-nuts/
3. https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2017/07/09/are-activated-nuts-better-for-you_a_23022991/
4. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/phytic-acid-101#section6
5. https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/suda-bekletilmis-ceviz-kolestrolu-dusurur-mu-13640335
6. https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/phytates/
7. https://idilyazar.com/ceviz-suyu-ve-faydalari
8. https://www.aysetolga.com/cevizin-faydalari-ceviz-suyu-kuru
9. https://www.mavikadin.com/ceviz-kuru-ceviz-diyeti-ile-zayiflama-ceviz-suyu-ile-zayiflayan-varmi
