Initially, I hated Walnuts. The story changed in 2002 when someone sent a large quantity to me from the village and while eating, it felt so soft like I was eating eggs.
After this experience, I started looking forward to it’s season and when I buy, I make sure I recook them.
This nut turns men to fathers because it is great for men who have low sperm count. It is called “Asala” or “Awusa” in Yoruba.
Botanically known as Plukenetia conophora or Tetracarpidium conophorum. The leaf extract treats headache, malaria and it is used to stop prolonged hiccups. Both the leaves, nuts and barks are believed to be effective for treating toothache. The nut is rich in fibre and it is also a mood booster.
In a study by Dada and Aguda, in the Journal of Aquatic Sciences, they highlighted the fertility-aiding ability of the phytochemicals found in the black-shelled nut.
Findings in the study titled, “Dietary effects of African walnut (Tetracarpidium conophorum) on the reproductive indices in male African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) broodstock, showed that supplementation of African walnut seed powder resulted in improved reproductive performance of male African catfish.
This indeed is a promising window of opportunity for health researchers and practitioners to conduct similar studies on humans with the prospect of curbing the rampant cases of infertility.
Here are some health benefits of walnuts:
Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases
Researchers reveal that the African walnut is very effective for minimising the risks of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and coronary artery disease (buildup of plaque in the arteries thereby restricting blood supply to the heart).
Consuming walnuts as an after meal dessert has been proven to be effective for keeping the arteries flexible and for reducing the damage caused by fatty foods to the arteries. This is due to the high content of phytosterols, omega 3 fatty acids and antioxidants in this nut.
Walnuts equally contain high amounts of L-arginine, which is an essential amino acid that can be converted to nitric oxide. It is noteworthy that nitric oxide is essential for smoothening the inner walls of the blood vessels, thereby helping the blood vessels to relax.
Individuals suffering from hypertension usually find it hard to have a balanced nitric oxide levels, thus they are prone to heart problems, however, adding walnuts to their diet is an effective way of combating this problem.
Treatment of infertility
Walnut seeds have been reported effective for tackling male infertility issues by boosting sperm productions in the testicles.
Researchers reveal that men who include more African walnuts in their diet stand higher chances of improving their sperm health, sperm development and spermatozoa count.
This is attributive to the high amount of healthy fatty acids present in these nuts. It’s leaf extract can also be used for boosting fertility in women as well as for treating fibroids.
Promotes quality sleep
Studies reveal that regular intake of walnuts before going to sleep is an effective way of facilitating good sleep due to the presence of melatonin in the nuts. It is noteworthy that melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland, which acts as a sleep aid as well as a remedy for tackling certain sleep disorders.
Reduces cholesterol level
It is an excellent source of healthy polyunsaturated fat and omega-3 fatty acids, which have been proven effective for reducing the body’s cholesterol level.