Black walnuts are the wrinkled seeds that provide a rich source of nutrition and health benefits. It is well known for its exotic flavor and provides you with various health benefits and usages.
However, there are also some side-effects that you need to know.
Black walnut is a rich source of nutrition. It provides you with a rich source of nutrients, namely beta-carotene, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamin B and C.
They are rich in calories, omega-3 fatty acids, carbohydrates, and dietary fiber. Black walnuts have acute fat content; however, the fats are healthy unsaturated fats and will not make you gain that extra weight.
Modern science has just started to unveil its nutritional goodness. The only hindrance you’ll face is in extracting the nutrients from black walnuts.
Table of Contents
Health Benefits Of Black Walnut
Black walnuts are enriched with the goodness of nature. They offer you numerous health benefits.
1. For Cancer And Leukaemia
You will find a cytotoxic compound called Juglone in black walnuts, which is a naphthoquinone.Juglone along with other polyphenolic compounds possess anti-tumor and anti-carcinogenic characteristics.
These fight against the unnatural behavior of your cancer-causing gene that is the oncogene, which is mutated in larger percentage in tumor and cancer cells.
These substances kill the cancer cells by rapid destruction of all unwanted cells of your body which if not checked leads to cancer.
Black walnuts also comprise of Omega 3 fats and melatonin which helps your body in preventing cancer.Black walnut is a rising hope in the world of Cancer. The results seem quite promising.
2. Controls Blood Pressure And Cholesterol
A study named “The effect of Daily Walnut Consumption on blood and lipid levels” proves that black walnut consumption can lower your LDL cholesterol levels by over 4%.
Black walnuts have unsaturated fatty acids and omega 3s and omega 6s in abundance.
However, the same study has proven that this does not lead to weight gain. Rather, it helps you maintain the blood pressure within a decent margin.
3. For Heart And Lungs
Black walnuts consist of L-arginine which provides you with multiple cardiovascular benefits.
Black walnut has another substance called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) which will help you to have a healthy heart due to its anti-inflammatory properties. This helps prevent pathological blood clots thus makes it less likely to bring heart attacks.
Also, lowers the risk of sudden cardiac arrests by 50%. Heart problems are met and solved as black walnuts help you prevent atherosclerosis.
Lung problems are also taken care of. Black walnut is responsible for oxygenating your blood. This will help you have healthy organs.
4. For Blood Sugar Or Diabetes
The dietary fats present in black walnuts are seen to improve your metabolic parameters if you have type-2 diabetes. Usually, it is seen that if you have obesity, you are likely to have type-2 diabetes.
If the regular consumption of black walnuts is done in adequate quantity, then you can deal with this problem, and it will help you maintain blood sugar levels.This is seen to happen by a reduction in fasting insulin levels.
5. Thyroid
When your body has abnormal production of the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH), this leads to various improper conditions in the body. Hypothyroidism is a condition when the TSH production is too low.
This can make you gain weight and lose stamina. Hyperthyroidism is one in which there is an excess production of TSH, and it will make you lose weight and sensitive to heat.
Black walnuts help in maintaining a healthy numerical value of production of TSH. Thus, it will help your body prevent the occurrence of thyroid diseases.
6. Improved Reproduction In Men
This is one of the exceptionally lesser-known benefits of black walnuts.Black walnuts play an important role in the male reproductive system by enhancing the male fertility.The sperm quality is improved as it impacts the vitality, motility, and morphology of the cells.
7. For Menstrual Issues
Many ladies suffer from the acute pain of periods every month. Many of them lose extreme blood from their body which leads to nausea and weakness.The excessive loss of blood during menstrual cycles – Menorrhagia, is met by the intake of black walnuts.
8. Controls Diarrhea And Constipation
Black walnuts are a rich source of dietary fiber. The hull of the black walnut tones and heals your inflamed intestinal tissues.
This improves the performance of the digestive tract for better assimilation and elimination. Thus, black walnuts will help you cure both constipation and diarrhea.
9. Maintains Immunity
Black walnuts are known to drive out foreign substances from your body due to its purgative properties. Thus, it will help you maintain your health by taking care of your immunity.
10. Skin
Black walnuts are deeply related to the health of your skin. The black walnut is a major supplement of antioxidants and vitamins, which keeps the blood clear.
This helps your skin from damaging and brings shine to dull skin, making it glowing and blemish free. It also helps in skin tightening due to its anti-aging properties.
The presence of omega three fatty acids keeps your skin from drying and rejuvenates every skin pore.
11. For Hair
Black walnut holds strong contents of omega fatty acids which help your hair follicles to stay strong, smooth and lustrous.
Baldness, hair loss, dry hair, and dandruff are some of the issues that can be met by proper intake of the black walnuts.
You can also maintain the healthy color of your hair due to coloring agents present in it
12. For Excessive Sweating
Black walnuts will bring in an unusual benefit if you consume them on a regular basis by cutting out the occurrence of extreme perspiration.
The high levels of tannin in black walnuts act as the astringent and affect the overactive sweat glands.
The black walnut hull helps in shrinking the sweat glands due to the presence of tannin. Thus, black walnuts are used to reduce excessive sweating problems.
13. Black Walnuts For Parasites
Black walnut is well known for its parasitic cures. It has powerful antifungal and anti-parasitic properties.Intestinal parasites can be a serious health issue and can lead to being dangerous if you neglect it.
These can cause you severe intestinal pain, diarrhea, and constipation in an alternate fashion, excessive flatulence, bloating, immunity issues, tiredness, and fatigue.
If a proper check is not done then, these parasites can affect not only your intestines but also various other parts of your body like the liver and the brain. They can even affect your blood, thus, contaminating the entire body.
Both black walnuts and their hull act as vermifuge due to the presence of astringent tannin and juglone. Thus, they are used to treat intestinal parasites like – tapeworms, hookworms, pinworms, etc.
Black walnuts can also be used for treating snake bites, open wounds, ulcers, scurvy and malaria due to its antifungal behavior.
14. Black Walnuts For Candida
Candida overgrowth is one of the common health problems.
In this the intestinal Candida fungus overgrows. This weakens your intestinal walls which lead to the release of toxins in the bloodstream.
This leads to weakening your immunity system. Black walnut is used for treating this Candida albicans.
Naphthoquinone juglone and astringent tannin in black walnuts shield the skin and create unfavorable conditions for the growth of Candida.
As a result, the Candida fungus fails to cross the barrier of your skin and does not cause infections.
15. Black Walnuts For Cold Sore And Inflammation
Gargling by walnut will help the cold soreness of your throat to gradually fade away, thus, relieving the pain and uneasiness.
This happens due to the anti-inflammatory characteristics of the walnut due to the presence of tannins which work as an astringent.
This also helps in drying up mucous and removes irritation. Tonsillitis and mouth sores can also be checked due to the tannin present in black walnuts, which works as a natural antiseptic iodine.
16. Against Fungal Infections
The antifungal properties of the black walnut help it to cure various fungal infections like – athlete’s foot, ringworm, jock itch, etc.
If you apply the black walnut hull tincture to the infected parts, it is said to heal them well. If orally consumed, then the nut also helps you in preventing any outbreak of such infections.
17. For Intestinal Benefits
Black walnuts are used to cure many intestinal problems. Apart from widely treating intestinal parasites, you may cure many intestinal infections like diphtheria and syphilis using black walnuts.It also helps in curing the pain of spleen.
18. Black Walnuts For Warts And Herpes
A viral infection called as warts can be easily healed using black walnuts. If you apply the hull extract on warts, it helps them to shrivel up and die.
Herpes, which is a virulent mole outbreak of the HSV virus that occurs around genitals can also be cured using black walnuts.
You may opt for both topical and oral application of black walnuts to heal herpes.
The tincture helps is fast drying and healing of the infection, and if you regularly consume them, then it can check the outbreaks.
19. For Flawless Skin
Black walnuts are also used to treat skin problems like psoriasis and eczema. They are rich in antioxidants which help the skin to revitalize and heal.
It helps you in obtaining vibrant skin by fighting acne. You can both consume as well as externally applying the tincture of the black walnut using diluted solutions to check the occurrence of acne.
Side Effects
You should keep one thing in mind that all naturally occurring products need not be safe for you. Black walnuts also project many side-effects.
1. Birth Defects
The black walnut comprises of phytates which cause cellular level changes and even cell death.This can lead to birth defects and abnormal/no growth of the fetus. This can also lead to miscarriages.This is also harmful to lactating women as it produces mutagenic abnormalities.
2. Asthma Attacks
If you are allergic to walnuts, you should avoid this crunchy nut as it will accentuate this disorder and lead to attacks.
3. Liver And Kidney Damage
Copious intake of black walnuts can lead to liver and kidney abnormalities and can even lead to their damage.
4. BMI And Weight Change
Your Body Mass Index (BMI) can be disturbed by black walnuts. Uncontrolled consumption of walnuts can lead to weight gain due to its high percentage of energy content.Though if you consumed in a correct order it can help you reduce weight.
5. Changes In Cellular DNA
Studies prove that Juglone in black walnuts adversely affects fibroblasts and hinders the production of collagen proteins.This will lead to irreplaceable damage to your cell DNA and can even cause the death of the cells.
6. Allergic Reactions
If you are allergic to walnuts, then it can get you allergies due to consumption or application of black walnuts.These include tightening of the throat or chest and difficulty in breathing.
7. Skin Cancer And Skin Rashes
Black walnuts consist of Juglone, which possesses toxicity and can lead to skin irritations and allergies.
Usually, you can apply the hull tincture of the black walnut on the skin for various infections. But this can even cause an outbreak of malignant tumors if applied daily.
If you apply it topically, the hull tincture can also lead to skin rashes causing redness and inflammation.Again it is due to the presence of the same chemical components in the walnut.
8. Reactions With Other Medicines
The tannin present in the black walnut acts as an astringent and can absorb the medicines from your intestinal tracts. This will lead to reactions and reduce the efficiency of the medicines.
9. Iron Deficiency
Black walnuts consist of phytates which will interfere with your body’s ability to absorb iron leading to iron deficiency.
10. Dries Up Body Fluids
Though you can use black walnuts to soothe cold sore, it is not to be forgotten that it should not be consumed during fever as it will dry up the medicines and body fluids and can lead to dehydration of the body.
11. Lip Cancer And Tongue Swelling
If you apply black walnut on a daily basis, it can lead to lip cancer. This happens due to the presence of Juglone.However, it is a very rare disorder noticed due to these walnuts and took place only after prolonged use.
If you are allergic to Black walnuts, avoid its consumption as it can lead to severe allergic reactions like swelling of lips. This may also be paired with throat or lung swelling, leading to discomfort in breathing and can also turn fatal.
12. Nausea
The black walnuts are allergens. These contain antibodies which will trigger the white blood cells to secrete histamine in your body.The production of histamine can be troublesome as it promotes allergic reactions leading to nausea.
Usages
You can use black walnuts in two major ways:
1. Oral Consumption
You may use the black walnut in various forms – say, a robust flavor to an ice-cream or a crunch to bakery goods and confections.
Black walnut is used as an exotic ingredient in gourmet food items worldwide. The nutritional profile adds on to various usages like salads, pasta, vegetables, and even fish, chicken and pork.
Black walnuts are a favorite because of their meaty, distinctive natural flavor that brings an alluring taste to every bite you grab.They can be roasted, salted, sweetened or spiced according to the need of the delicacy in which you want to add them.
2. Topical Application
You can crush the black walnut and use it as a scrubbing agent on the skin of the face and other body parts.It helps you remove the dead cells, black heads, and white heads. Thus, it is making your skin smooth and radiant.
The hull of the black walnut can also be powdered and applied as per the need. However, it should be kept in mind that the powder should not be applied directly as it may pollute your skin and thus, causing allergies.You may be adulterate it with various skin creams or lotions and only then apply it
Bottom Line
Black walnut may not be suitable for everybody. Thus, it is a must that you follow relevant instructions or see your doctor/healthcare professional before opting for it.
If you are planning on adding the super nut to your diet regime, then consult your doctor first and make sure your body wouldn’t react in a negative way to it.
The accurate dose will depend on upon various factors from person to people like age, health and several other conditions.
