Diet rich in walnuts, walnut oil can fight stress
By ANIMonday, October 4, 2010
WASHINGTON - If daily stress is taking a toll on your health, it’s time to eat walnuts, as they help fight stress, says a new study.
“We wanted to find out if omega 3-fatty acids from plant sources would blunt cardiovascular responses to stress,” said Sheila G. West, associate professor of biobehavioural health.
The researchers found that including walnuts and walnut oil in the diet lowered both resting blood pressure and blood pressure responses to stress in the laboratory.
The researchers found that including walnuts and walnut oil in the diet lowered both resting blood pressure and blood pressure responses to stress in the laboratory.
“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,” she said.
Results also showed that adding flax oil to the walnut diet significantly improved the test of vascular health.
The flax plus walnuts diet also lowered c-reactive protein, indicating an anti-inflammatory effect. According to West, that could also reduce risk of cardiovascular disease.
Walnuts are a rich source of fibre, antioxidants, and unsaturated fatty acids, particularly alpha linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid.
“These results are in agreement with several recent studies showing that walnuts can reduce cholesterol and blood pressure,” noted West.
“This work suggests that blood pressure is also reduced when a person is exposed to stress in their daily life,” she added.
The findings appear in the current issue of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.(ANI)
