Awaken to the Walnut

The healthy walnut now has even more to boast about. Along with being high in protein, minerals and omega-3 fatty acids, walnuts contain melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep cycles and the immune system. According to a recent study, each gram of walnut has 21/2 to 41/2 nanograms of the hormone.

While that doesn’t sound like a lot, in the study, rats that dined on walnuts had blood melatonin concentrations three times higher than rats that ate the standard diet. The walnuts also increased the “total antioxidant power” of the blood and, thus, its ability to fight free radicals.

Important in treating insomnia, jet lag and seasonally induced depression, melatonin acts as an antioxidant and may combat the aging process. However, it’s unclear how many walnuts you’d have to eat to get any therapeutic benefit.

Nevertheless, with the walnut’s numerous accolades, such as helping prevent heart disease and lowering cholesterol, you can’t go wrong by adding some to your diet.