What do walnuts do to your body's defenses?
Chronic and acute effects of walnuts on antioxidant capacity and nutritional status in humans: a randomized, cross-over pilot study
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Despite walnuts being ranked among the highest antioxidant-rich plant foods, 6 weeks of daily consumption didn’t increase overall plasma antioxidant capacity.
This contradicts both lab studies (in vitro) and animal research showing strong antioxidant effects. People expect 'antioxidant-rich' foods to boost antioxidant levels in blood—but here, they didn’t.
Practical Takeaways
Eat a small handful of walnuts daily to support healthy fat and vitamin B6 levels, especially if you're over 50 or avoid animal products.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Despite walnuts being ranked among the highest antioxidant-rich plant foods, 6 weeks of daily consumption didn’t increase overall plasma antioxidant capacity.
This contradicts both lab studies (in vitro) and animal research showing strong antioxidant effects. People expect 'antioxidant-rich' foods to boost antioxidant levels in blood—but here, they didn’t.
Practical Takeaways
Eat a small handful of walnuts daily to support healthy fat and vitamin B6 levels, especially if you're over 50 or avoid animal products.
Publication
Journal
Nutrition Journal
Year
2010
Authors
Diane L McKay, C. Chen, K. Yeum, N. Matthan, A. Lichtenstein, J. Blumberg
Related Content
Claims (10)
Even though walnuts have a lot of unsaturated fats, they also have enough antioxidants to protect your 'bad' cholesterol from damage.
Eating a small handful of raw walnuts every day for six weeks might boost a key form of vitamin B6 in the blood of healthy older people, even if they're not eating more protein or other B6-rich foods.
Eating a handful of walnuts every day for six weeks might boost vitamin B6 levels in older adults who are otherwise healthy.
Eating a small or medium handful of raw walnuts might give older adults a quick boost in natural antioxidants that help protect their body's proteins from damage caused by stress and aging.
If you're 50 or older and eat a small handful of raw walnuts every day for six weeks, it might help your body build up healthy fats in your blood cells — a sign that walnuts are getting into your cells and doing their job.