According to new research, eating a handful of nuts every day is an excellent way to protect yourself against heart disease. Just four hours after eating nuts or consuming nut oil, doctors have observed a vast improvement in cholesterol levels and blood vessel flexibility.

Regular intake is essential to harnessing the benefits of the nuts, according to Dr. Penny Kris Etherton, who says:

“Only by consuming a handful of walnuts or walnut oil for four days in a week you can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease.”

However, this study is not the earliest documented case of walnuts being believed to be a superfood beneficial to the body. Ancient Romans believed walnuts were a sex enhancer among other things, even going as far as to scatter them on newlywed couples.

Walnuts were even used by the ancient British to treat mental illness, attributing its benefit to the brain shape of its kernels.
So how can you work more walnuts into your diet?

Aside from the obvious – just cracking and chomping. Some alternates ways to eat walnuts are in nutritional shakes, salad dressings, sprinkled on oatmeal, homemade walnut muffins or superfood energy bars. Giving all your treats the neuroprotective compounds, including vitamin E, folate, melatonin, omega 3 fats, and antioxidants.

David Wolfe helps break down the awesomeness of walnuts further:

Walnuts help stimulate the production of the enzymes trypsin and chymotrypsin which are some of the most powerful digestive enzymes the human body produces. As long as a handful (or less) of walnuts is eaten the body typically overproduces these enzymes which are then absorbed into the bloodstream and help to clean the blood and lymphatic system.

Get nutty!

Credit: davidwolfe.com