Feeling Stressed? Eat Walnuts...

... that's the advice from a new study, published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

Researchers found that a diet rich in walnuts and walnut oil may help the body to deal better with stressful situations.

Sheila West, associate professor of biobehavioral health, said this:

People who show an exaggerated biological response to stress are at higher risk of heart disease... We wanted to find out if omega 3-fatty acids from plant sources would blunt cardiovascular responses to stress. Source

Their research showed that adding walnuts and walnut oil to the diet could lower both resting blood pressure, and blood pressure responses to stress.

Walnuts are a rich source of fiber, antioxidants, and unsaturated fatty acids, particularly alpha linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid. And, it's probable that these compounds are responsible for the beneficial effects.

This is the first study to show that walnuts and walnut oil reduce blood pressure during stress... This is important because we can't avoid all of the stressors in our daily lives. This study shows that a dietary change could help our bodies better respond to stress.

So, here's a few tips for adding walnuts or walnut oil to your diet:

Eat walnuts as a snack -- around 18 walnut halves make up a serving.Add a tablespoon of walnut oil to home-made salad dressings, or sprinkle walnuts on top of your salad.Top oats and yoghurt with crushed walnuts.Add walnuts to your home baked recipes, such as zucchini bread or carrot cake.

Please share your suggestions in the comments below...

Image source: JohnnyBerg

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