Every fifth person is at risk. What and how to eat to avoid cholesterol stones?

Walnut is a popular plant product in the diet of every family. Our ancestors consumed nuts as food, receiving the necessary nutrients and elements. Now only the lazy do not know about the benefits of walnuts: the product is a significant component of world cuisine and is valued for its high taste. The shell, partitions, branches, bark and leaves of the tree are used in folk medicine.

We will tell you about the benefits, possible harm, rules of use, contraindications of walnuts.

Description of the walnut plant

The tree belongs to the Walnut family, reaches a height of up to 25 m, crown diameter is up to 20 m. Plants grown from seed bear fruit from 10-12 years of age. Trees grown from seedlings (root shoots) begin to bear fruit from the age of 2. From the age of 30, the tree begins to bear full fruit. They live up to 400 years.

It blooms in May, the fruits ripen by September-October. The walnut (fruit of the tree) is a drupe-like tree, covered with a thick leathery-fibrous green skin (pericarp) and a strong ovoid stone (shell) with 2-5 partitions. When ripe, the peel of the fruit dries out, bursts into two parts, disintegrates, and separates. The seed does not spontaneously open; inside there is an edible kernel. The weight of the nut is 5-17 grams, the kernel makes up 40-58%.

• The largest supplier of walnuts in the world is the USA.
• In Russia, in addition to local nuts, fruits from Chile, China, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan are sold.
• The most valuable nuts are considered to be those growing in France.
• The most delicious varieties are “Rodina”, “Gissarsky”, “Uzbek skoroplodny”, “Ideal”.

What does Greece have to do with it?

It would seem that the name speaks for itself: walnuts must come from Greece. But it is not so.

Nuts appeared in South-West Asia - Persia and Mesopotamia, and from there they spread throughout the world. Archaeologists find fossilized fruits in Iran, Turkey, Iraq and even near the Himalayas, and the oldest of them, as scientists suggest, grew about 10,000 years ago. The name often depends on which region the nuts came from to a particular country. That is, in our case, “Gretz” means that it came from the Greeks, from Byzantium, with which the Russians actively traded. The Greeks themselves called the nut Persian or royal. And in Czech, Polish, Danish and other European languages, nuts appear under the name “Volosh”, that is, they came from Wallachia (modern Romania). The fruits were brought to the USA by the British, and therefore are called English. It is interesting that, for example, in Afghanistan the name of a nut was chosen based on its appearance. There the walnut is called charmarghz, which means “four brains.”

Chemical composition of walnut

Leaves are rich in:

• Quinones (α-hydrojuglone, β-hydrojuglone, juglone);
• Flavonoids (quercetin 3-arabinoside, hyperoside, kaempferol 3-arabinoside);
• Vitamin C (4-5%), group B;
• Carotenoids, incl. β-carotene (12 mg/100 g),
• Ellagic, halic, caffeic acids;
• Tannins (3-4%);
• Essential oil (up to 0.03%).

The green pericarp contains:

• Vitamin C (up to 3%);
• α- and β-hydrojuglones;
• Tannins.

The nut kernel contains:

• Complete vegetable protein (up to 21%);
• Carbohydrates (up to 7%);
• Provitamin A;
• Vitamins A, E, groups B, C (up to 10% in unripe fruits), K, P;
• Amino acids (arginine, asparagine, glutamine, cystine, serine, valine, histidine, phenylalanine);
• Tannins;
• Fatty oil (up to 60-76%) - from glycerides of oleic, linoleic, stearic, palmitic and linolenic acids (unsaturated fatty acids (up to 76%). Contains vitamins A, E, C, microelements;
• Micro and macroelements: iodine, zinc, copper, magnesium, iron, calcium, cobalt, potassium, phosphorus.

Walnut partitions are also healthy and rich in:

• alkaloid compounds (in small doses have a positive effect on brain activity);
• tannins;
• glycosides;
• amino acids: serine, cystine, asparagine, glutamine, histidine;
• mineral elements: iodine, potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, manganese and boron;
• vitamins: groups B, D, retinol, tocopherol, ascorbic acid.

Traditional healers talk about the benefits of green walnuts collected before June 23: unripe fruits contain the highest concentration of nutrients.

High-calorie product: up to 8500 kcal per 1 kilogram of kernels.

Use for cosmetic purposes

Nuts are also used in cosmetology: the oil and juice of the leaves, shells, powder, and kernels are added to cosmetics, and decoctions, infusions, and ointments are also prepared from them. In case of individual intolerance, use is contraindicated.

What and how to use

1. For face and body:

• To eliminate dry skin, relieve irritation and as a tanning agent, walnut oil is used;
• Hydrolate is used for skin care after sunbathing, hair removal, to relieve inflammation, lighten and tone the skin;
• shell-based scrubs are used for cleansing and regeneration, especially for dry and aging skin;
• Face masks with rejuvenating, skin-tightening properties are made and used from kernel powder.

2. For hair:

• powder is used in hair cosmetics and helps improve its structure and add shine;
• decoctions based on crushed kernels with the addition of cinnamon, olive or coconut oil are used as a mask to stimulate hair follicles and prevent hair loss;
• The juice of the leaves is used to create shampoos and hair care products, creams, lotions for facial skin; they have a pronounced antifungal and disinfecting effect.

Walnut and its derivatives are plant products that contain vitamins and microelements, fats and fatty acids that are important for the body. This is an important part of any person's diet.

Benefits of walnuts

• Stimulates neurochemical processes in the brain.
• Prevents the formation of cancer cells.
• Normalizes metabolism.
• Prevents gastrointestinal disorders and diarrhea.
• Normalizes heart function, strengthens the walls of blood vessels in the brain.
• Stabilizes blood pressure levels.
• Prevents the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in blood vessels.
• Strengthens the immune system. Recommended for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.
• Helps eliminate toxic substances.
• Walnut leaves are a good antiseptic and anti-inflammatory agent for treating wounds.
• The benefits of walnut oil are a natural source of unsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants.

The benefits of walnuts have been proven for women (treatment of hormonal disorders, improvement of libido) and men (treatment of impotence), so the product can be called a natural aphrodisiac.

Benefits for women's health

Taking walnuts helps:

• improve skin condition, its elasticity, prevent the appearance of signs of aging;
• improves the quality and structure of hair, it becomes less brittle;
• normalizes hormonal levels;
• can reduce pain during menstruation and even affect the restoration of the cycle;
• promotes weight normalization;
• reduces the risk of mastopathy and breast cancer.

Indications for use

Walnut is a general tonic for colds and viral diseases. It has a restorative effect on a weakened immune system and is used in the treatment of many diseases.

Main indications:

• Atherosclerosis;
• Hypertension;
• Thyroid diseases;
• Iodine deficiency;
• Inflammatory processes;
• Pain syndrome;
• Decreased brain activity;
• Iron-deficiency anemia;
• Diabetes;
• Hypovitaminosis;
• High acidity of gastric juice;
• Impaired intestinal motility;
• Impotence;
• Infertility;
• Recovery period after illnesses, operations;
• Overstrain of the visual organs;
• Memory impairment;
• Mental overload;
• Chronic fatigue.

The famous American doctor D. Gale recommends eating 4 - 5 walnuts daily to protect against the effects of radiation. A study by American scientists led by D. Vinson proved that walnuts contain many times more antioxidants than all other nuts. Moreover, the biological activity of antioxidants is higher than in other types of nuts.

Leaves

The leaves of the fruit contain no less healing properties than those contained in the fruit itself. They are saturated with aldehyde, essential oils, and keratin. The vitamin C content increases in strength as the growing season progresses and leaves develop. Among other things, they contain the substance juglone, which has bactericidal properties.

A decoction of the leaves cures wounds and promotes their healing. It is used to cure rickets and scrofula in young children. It also helps with inflammatory processes that occur in the oral cavity and periodontal disease.

How to choose and store walnuts

In any market there are sections with nuts and dried fruits, the picture of which instantly whets the appetite. Beautiful peeled halves in huge canvas bags. Yummy!

We strongly do not recommend buying shelled nuts, unless you buy them from a trusted farmer and then just eat them once. The beautiful-looking kernels may hide:

• last year's moldy nuts, but washed with water (the fungus cannot be destroyed with plain water);
• product that may have been improperly stored, for example in leaky, dirty warehouses infested with rodents.

Being in the shell, the fruits are protected from bacteria and microorganisms. When the kernels lie on the counter/in a bag day after day, they become contaminated with pathogenic microflora, insects crawl on them, etc.

It is strictly forbidden to buy ground nuts - the shelf life of such a product is extremely short, and the contents most often turn out to be bad and last year’s kernels.

At the market or in the store?

The store is more reliable, but it is difficult to buy whole nuts there; they mostly sell shelled ones. When buying on the market, you should give preference to trusted sellers who have been supplying, or better yet growing, nuts for a long time. Don’t be shy to ask for documents confirming quality and safety.

How to choose inshell walnuts

• It is better to buy nuts in the fall: this increases the chance that the harvest is fresh;
• You can distinguish last year's nuts by their dark shell or dark spots on it, and lower weight: as the fruits are stored, they dry out;
• By shaking the nuts, you can hear a slightly ringing, but not empty sound. This is a sign of the freshness of the product;
• The most delicious are considered to be elongated nuts with a thin shell of about 1.5 mm. Round nuts are also tasty, but their shells are thick, which means they have smaller kernels.
• The shell should be dry, without holes, cracks and without any remaining green shell (a sign of immaturity). A smooth shell is a sign that there are few partitions inside. Nuts that are wet or cool to the touch should not be handled;
• The lighter the shell, the less bitter the nuts will be;
• If you have the strength, a high-quality, well-dried walnut can be opened with your hands;
• They also sell very fragile nuts that can be easily opened without effort. You shouldn’t buy them for future use: they don’t store well, but if you eat them right away, you won’t regret it, they’re very tasty;
• When opened, the kernels should be elastic, dense, without mold, greasy film, uncharacteristic spots and spots. Fresh kernels are covered with a thin leathery shell of light golden color. They break with a slight crunch and have a uniform light color when broken. The taste is sweet, slightly tart, but without bitterness.

• If there is a moldy smell and the nuts taste rancid, this is a low-quality product.
• If the kernels are yellow and fall into small pieces when rubbed between your fingers, they slipped you last year’s nut.

How to choose shelled nuts

If you do buy peeled nut kernels from a reliable seller, then the tips are as follows:

• do not take a lot, but only as much as you can eat in several sittings;
• the kernels should be voluminous, crispy, and not wrinkled and limp;
• keep the kernels in the oven for 5-7 minutes at 180 C. This treatment will not destroy aflatoxins, but will kill pathogenic microflora.

How to store walnuts?

Before storing nuts, they need to be dried in the attic or balcony. Nuts spoil due to moisture, which can destroy the highest quality harvest.

Nuts in the shell are stored for a long time, up to 6 months. It can be in a kitchen cabinet, in a dark but dry, ventilated place, in a box, or a canvas bag. There is no need to wrap nuts in cellophane. If you have a cool but dry cellar, you can store nuts for 9-12 months at temperatures from -5 to +10 degrees.

Cleaned kernels are stored at room temperature for a short time, 10-15 days. The kernels can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 months, placed in vacuum packaging. Freezing is allowed, shelf life up to 12 months. To extend the “life” of nuts, they are roasted like seeds. An option, but there is less benefit in such a product.

The optimal period during which you need to eat nuts in the shell is 6 months. After this period, the fats lose their benefits and become rancid, giving the nut an unpleasant taste and smell.

Benefits and harms for the human body

Before considering the benefits of the product for women, men and children, let's familiarize ourselves with the general contraindications.

ATTENTION!

For people who are hypersensitive to plant proteins, it is dangerous to get carried away with such a product - an allergic reaction is possible!

So, here is a list of diseases for which walnuts are taboo:

• stomach ulcer;
• gastritis;
• colitis;
• pancreatitis;
• problems with blood clotting;
• dermatitis;
• hives;
• diathesis.

A seemingly harmless little delicacy if consumed in moderation can cause health problems.

For women

The female body, especially after 30 years, needs adjustments for pregnancy, breastfeeding and a tendency to gain excess weight. Women can successfully incorporate walnut kernels into their diet for the benefit of the body, receiving the necessary substances for health.

When creating your menu, you need to know how many walnuts you can and should eat per day

Above, we calculated the number of nuts, the main thing is that their total mass does not exceed 100 g. Otherwise, an oversaturation with protein can cause allergies, which is especially dangerous for pregnant women. For pregnant women, the norms for consuming tasty kernels are different: 2 pieces per day several times a week. It is not recommended to eat walnut fruits if you are prone to constipation and skin rashes.

For men

Men need to know how walnuts, recommended from a young age, are beneficial for them. Their composition helps regulate testosterone and stimulates prostate function, positively affecting potency. In order for a product with such a high fat content to be well absorbed, it is better to add honey or kefir to it and eat it for breakfast.

Men should not exceed the norm of nuts per day due to possible disorders in the body

For the child's body

Although many parents have a manic desire to cram into their child the most high-calorie and mega-healthy things so that the child grows up healthy, this trick will not work with nuts. Pediatricians generally do not recommend giving nuts to children under two years of age. The introduction of such a heavy product into a preschooler’s menu should be gradual, starting with 1 piece per day. Up to 6-7 years old, 4 pieces per day will be enough, and after 7 years - a maximum of 5.

It is dangerous to give nuts to children with allergies because of a possible attack. A small amount of nuts is beneficial for a child’s body because it saturates it with essential substances and elements. As a result, the child is active and inquisitive, which is ensured by the influence of nucleoli on brain activity.

What are the dangers of stale, expired and moldy nuts?

These nuts are often sold at a good discount. The seller will assure you: rinse it, eat it safely, add it to baked goods. Don’t be tempted by the low price: these nuts contain a fungus that produces aflatoxins - dangerous substances that threaten not only health, but also life!

Aflatoxins (mycotoxins) are waste products of fungi that cause irreversible changes in the liver. High doses cause death within a few days; chronic intake of substances in small doses greatly increases the risk of liver cancer, disrupts the immune system, and the functioning of the endocrine and nervous systems. The peculiarity of aflatoxins is their resistance to high temperatures, alcohol-containing liquids and soap (they are destroyed only during prolonged and severe heat treatment, which is impossible with nuts).

The ideal environment for the proliferation of moldy fungus of the genus Aspergillus is moist and warm. Those. If stored improperly, nuts become actively colonized by fungi and become hazardous to health. The harm of walnuts to the body if they are infected with fungi is not a myth, but a real threat to health. Think 1000 times when buying peeled kernels by weight!

How to detect that the kernels are affected by a fungus? Unfortunately, this is difficult to do. If, when cracking a nut, you see a barely noticeable cloud as if made of pollen, the nut is damaged!

Shell

Walnut shells contain coumarins, steroids and phenolcarboxylic acids. It is customary to make decoctions and tinctures from it, and it is also a key ingredient in many cosmetics. Its presence in the composition helps remove dead skin cells and evens out the complexion. In addition to the above, the fetal membrane has anti-inflammatory properties and heals wounds. Alcohol-containing tinctures are prescribed for female diseases (cervical erosion), and a fresh decoction can relieve the formation of blood clots. Regular consumption of the daily norm of fetal kernels is an excellent prevention in the fight against cancer.

After burning nut shells, ash is formed, which cures ulcers. For a stronger effect, wine and oils are added to it. This product can also be applied to the scalp, thus stimulating the hair follicles. Ash in its pure form cleanses the body no worse than activated carbon, and perfectly fights microbes contained in water and food.

Standards of use

How many walnuts should you eat per day?

• 2-3 nuts per day is the norm for healthy people;
• 3-4 nuts per day – for nursing mothers;
• 6-7 nuts per day - during the recovery period after illness, surgery, for men engaged in heavy physical labor.
• Children can be given walnuts from the age of 2, no more than 2-3 crushed kernels per day.

If you eat more than 10-15 nuts, there will be no particular harm. But this is a high-calorie product, a large amount of which has a negative effect on the figure and creates “heaviness” in the stomach. The upper limit is 7 nuts per day.

The best time is morning. Nuts are good as a snack with tea, coffee, or better yet, added to porridge or muesli. The maximum benefit comes from raw nuts rather than roasted ones, although the latter are tastier.

You can buy nuts in honey - a popular dessert, often brought as a gift from seaside resorts. When the nut harvest for such a delicacy was harvested is a big question. You can prepare the dessert yourself, but eat it within a few days.

Walnut jam is more of a nutritious product than a healthy one. The most valuable nut is fresh and raw.

A little history

The mysterious origin of the nut still haunts historians. According to one version, Persia is considered its homeland, but archaeologists have found confirmation of the tree’s growth in Turkey, China, and Italy.

In ancient times, walnuts were called royal and Volosh. The Greeks and Romans called it Persian. The Afghans nicknamed the nut “four brains” because of its external resemblance to the human brain. In European countries it is still called a “foreign” nut.

In Persia and Ancient Babylon it was inaccessible to ordinary people and was considered the food of the elite. Hippocrates wrote about the healing properties of the royal nut and recommended its use for diseases of the stomach, liver, and heart.

When and how did he get to Greece? We can assume that the journey was long, in trade caravans carrying spices and expensive oriental goods. One way or another, it was brought to Russian territory by Greek merchants in the 15th century and here it received another name.

Walnut oil

Walnut oil is a valuable, expensive product (about 700 rubles for 250 ml). Can be found in organic sections. In Russia, imported oil is sold (produced in Austria, France), as well as domestic, farm-made oil. When purchasing, carefully read the ingredients - the oil may contain sunflower oil.

The most useful thing is unrefined, first cold pressed, it is obtained by cold pressing the kernels. This is exactly what they sell in stores, but the shelf life is surprising: 12-18 months. As you know, unrefined oils do not last as long, which means the oil has been processed to increase shelf life. It’s better to make butter at home: 200 gr. Grind fresh kernels in a mortar or meat grinder, or in a blender, but in several approaches. Transfer the mixture to cheesecloth and squeeze out. The resulting volume should be used within 3 days. Keep refrigerated.

The beneficial properties of walnut oil are multifaceted: the product is recommended for gastritis, to reduce the acidity of gastric juice, and to relieve heartburn. The oil increases bile secretion, promotes the restoration of liver and pancreas cells, improves joint function and kidney function. Helps strengthen the immune system, maintain youth, improve memory and vision. High antioxidant properties make it possible to take the oil for the prevention of oncology and the removal of radionuclides. It has also been proven to have a stimulating effect on libido in women and men.

How to use:

Universal treatment regimen - 1 tbsp. for the night. To strengthen the immune system and treat diabetes, take 1 tsp. three times a day before meals. In the absence of allergies, it can be given to children from 1 year of age, a few drops. The oil is also used as a salad dressing.

Widely used in cosmetology for skin care of any type, massage. Walnut oil retains moisture and nourishes the skin, eliminates irritation, itching, improves complexion, tightens the oval, smoothes out shallow wrinkles.

Benefits for men's health

Daily kernel consumption:

• helps to gain muscle mass and recover faster after physical activity;
• speeds up metabolism;
• improves blood circulation and potency;
• stimulates testosterone production;
• increases performance and stress resistance.

Folk recipes

• Gynecological tumor diseases. Alcohol infusion from walnut shell partitions. Take 20-30 gr. crushed (but not powdered) partitions and 100 ml of vodka, mix and shake. Place in a dark place for 3 weeks. Daily dose: 10 ml. The course of treatment is 60 days.
• Oncological diseases, benign tumors, thrombosis. Take dry shells from 15 fruits, rinse, put in a jar and pour 700 ml of vodka, close the lid. Place in a cool place for 60 days. Take a course of 60 days, 5-10 ml per day.
• Cardiovascular diseases (hypertension, atherosclerosis). Crushed nut kernels are mixed with honey in a 1:1 ratio. Take 2.5 tbsp. per day every day.
• Hypothyroidism, iodine deficiency. 1 tbsp. dry leaves or walnut partitions are poured with 1 glass of boiling water, infused and filtered. Take half an hour before meals. Course – 1 month, several times a year.
• Diarrhea. An aqueous tincture of shell partitions, obtained according to the recipe described above, quickly eliminates diarrhea.
• Dysentery, kidney and intestinal diseases, as well as skin problems - lichen, eczema, herpes. Take 200 gr. green peel and 1 liter of vodka, put in a dark place for 30 days. Take 1 tbsp. 3 times a day, diluted with water, to treat the skin, use externally.
• Normalization of intestinal motility. 50 gr. nuts mixed with honey eliminate discomfort and tendency to constipation. Take on an empty stomach, in the morning, half an hour before the first meal. Course – 7 days.
• Inflammatory processes in the oral cavity. 1 tbsp. dry nut leaves, pour 1 cup of boiling water, brew, strain. Rinse your mouth 2 times a day. After rinsing, do not eat for 1 hour.
• Exacerbation of hemorrhoids. Lotions from the infusion of leaves are applied to hemorrhoids several times a day.
• Impotence, erectile dysfunction. Chop 7-9 nuts, mix with honey and take every morning during breakfast.
• Mastopathy. Take 2-3 tbsp. dry partitions and pour 250 ml of alcohol, leave in the dark for 7 days. Take 1 tbsp. before meals 3 times a day. This remedy is also recommended for normalizing hormone levels, eliminating iodine deficiency and strengthening the immune system.
• Wounds, abrasions, skin inflammation. Apply fresh walnut leaves or dry leaf powder to the inflammatory lesions.
• A powerful strengthening agent. Mix chopped walnut kernels, dried apricots, lemon (with zest), raisins and honey in equal proportions. The fortified product has a general strengthening, tonic effect and increases brain activity. Take 20 g. mixtures in the morning. Keep refrigerated.
• Vitamin bomb. This remedy was used back in the days of Kievan Rus. Chop green nuts and mix in equal parts with figs and honey. Take 1 tsp. before breakfast.
• Cleansing blood vessels. Take the crushed shells of 10 nuts, pour half a liter of vodka and leave in the dark for 7 days. Take 1 tbsp. on an empty stomach.
• Prevention of atherosclerosis. Mix 10 chopped nut kernels, 10 tablespoons of unrefined sunflower oil and 2 cloves of chopped garlic. Take 1 tbsp. in a day.
• Improvement of facial and scalp skin. A decoction prepared from 0.5 l. purified water and partitions 25 nuts, cleanses the facial skin from acne, pimples, and the scalp from dandruff. The face can be treated with a chilled decoction instead of a tonic, and the hair can be rinsed with the decoction.
• Mask for aging skin. Combine 15 ml of walnut oil, 5 ml of peach and almond extract. Apply to cleansed skin with massage movements for 15 minutes, rinse.
• Treatises of ancient Tajik medicine say: eating nut kernels with milk improves health, neutralizes and removes harmful substances from the body.
• Natural nut butter. A nutritious and healthy product that can be spread on bread. Grind 450 grams in a food processor. walnut kernels, 2 tsp. cane sugar, 1/3 tsp. salt. Grind in several stages (otherwise the mass sticks together) to obtain a homogeneous paste. At the end add 1 tbsp. vegetable oil. Keep refrigerated.
• Walnut tincture. A universal recipe for the treatment of benign neoplasms, hypertension, inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, infertility, diabetes, hypothyroidism, tuberculosis and colds. Take 30-40 walnuts in green shells (May-June), rinse, cut into 4 parts and pour 1 liter of vodka. Place in a dark place for 24 days. Take 5 ml 20 minutes before meals, three times a day.

Beneficial features

Let's look at the main beneficial properties that affect our health:

• Vitamin B6. It participates in processes that stimulate the nervous and circulatory systems and prevents aging. We immediately feel the lack of this vitamin: appetite decreases, skin condition worsens, and anemia develops. Regularly including walnuts in your diet reduces these risks;
• Vitamin B1. This is one of the energy metabolism enzymes that affects metabolism. With a lack of B1 (or thiamine), our body reacts with disorders of the nervous, cardiac and digestive systems. A teaspoon of nuts a day will solve these problems!
• Vitamin B5. It is responsible for metabolic processes in the body, the absorption of amino acids and sugars, and supports the function of the adrenal glands. If your skin and mucous membranes are not in the best condition, this means a lack of vitamin B5;
• Omega-3. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are often called “essential”, affect the development of the brain and retina in children, the condition of the skin and hair, and prevent the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. And although walnuts contain less of these acids than seafood, a regular snack of two nuts will allow the body to receive the necessary material.

Benefits for the female body

By regularly consuming 40 grams of walnuts, a person reduces the risk of cancer. For women with a predisposition to breast cancer, this discovery may be significant.

But not only for this property the product takes pride of place in our diet:

• magnesium protects against daily stress;
• B vitamins help keep the skin in perfect condition;
• selenium and zinc improve hair structure;
• iron protects against anemia;
• Antioxidants and flavonoids strengthen the immune system.

How to use correctly during pregnancy and breastfeeding

During this period, women closely monitor their diet, choosing only healthy foods for themselves and their unborn baby.

Nuts in moderate portions will provide the body with folic acid - an essential element for the normal course of pregnancy and the prevention of pathologies in the fetus.

When breastfeeding, you need to eat food following simple rules:

1. choose the right product (nuts must be of good quality, free from mold);
2. refrain from roasting nuts (this can cause digestive problems for mother and baby);
3. do not exceed the dose recommended by your doctor (despite the low threshold of allergens in the product, each organism is individual, and there is a risk of allergies).

For men

The magnesium content will protect the male body in stressful situations. Zinc, so necessary for the formation of testosterone, will improve potency.

In combination with honey and goat milk, a walnut for a man will become not only a delicious dessert, but also an assistant that increases potency, relieves excess nervousness, and strengthens the immune system.

But you shouldn’t get carried away and increase the portions: the calorie content of the product in combination with honey can quickly turn the six-pack on a man’s torso into a beer belly.

For children

The benefits of walnuts are undeniable, but baby food has its own rules. Pediatricians recommend refraining from supplementing food for children under two years of age. These contraindications are associated with the development of the child’s body and the risk of allergic reactions.

As for older children, they need nuts.
They should be included in food gradually, in small doses, adding to porridge or mousses. How the product is useful for children:

• prevents the risk of developing rickets;
• strengthens the heart muscle;
• stimulates memory, improves immunity.

For schoolchildren, it is worth introducing into their diet a healthy snack consisting of a couple of walnut slices, a spoonful of honey and dried fruits. This composition is included in recipes for homemade sweet bars. One bar will allow the student to activate memory and improve performance.

Benefits for weight loss

The calorie content of walnuts does not prevent them from becoming an important part of the nutrition system of those losing weight. Of course, you cannot completely replace the rest of your diet with them. A mono-diet gives a quick effect, but doctors do not recommend repeating it often.

The optimal dose for proper nutrition when losing weight: one teaspoon of ground nuts per day. They can be eaten with low-fat cottage cheese or added to green vegetable salads.

The lack of vitamins during a strict diet will immediately affect the condition of the skin, nails and hair. And during physical activity, for example, in fitness, problems with the heart muscle will arise. Therefore, when developing individual diets, it is worth including kernels in breakfast or lunch.

Foods that are good for the stomach and stimulate the gastrointestinal tract

In some patients, most often the elderly, intestinal motility deteriorates and the person begins to suffer from constant constipation. But there are foods whose consumption stimulates gastric and intestinal motility, which improves digestion and reduces the likelihood of constipation. These foods that are good for the stomach include:

• Fermented milk products (kefir, fermented baked milk, cottage cheese).
• Vegetables: pumpkin, beets, carrots, sauerkraut. You can have vegetable soups, but only without meat.
• Fruits: melon, apple, plum.
• Berries and jam from them.
• Scrambled eggs.
• Honey.
• Various porridges on the water.

Difficult choice

It is impossible to determine the best drug; they are all just building blocks in an integrated approach. Success in treating diabetes mellitus largely depends on the patient. In order to get the effect of taking drugs, not only the doctor must choose the right regimen and combine drugs, taking into account the risks from the kidneys, heart, and concomitant diseases. A person is required to change their lifestyle, eating habits, exercise, monitor glucose levels daily, keep a diary, and follow a diet. Only together can we achieve stable blood glucose levels.

Diabetes

Nobody takes glucose-lowering drugs for nothing. This is the most important point in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, a disease that is associated with hyperglycemia. In a healthy person, blood sugar levels are fairly constant and should not go beyond certain limits, regardless of periods of eating or fasting. It is believed that it can range from 2.5 mmol/l to 8 mmol/l.

Previously, when there was no treatment for diabetes mellitus, after a few years of illness a ketoacidotic coma could develop and the person would die. Today there are fewer and fewer such cases; medications help prevent sugar levels from rising to life-critical levels. Doctors and patients are faced with a new task - to delay the development of complications and prolong life as much as possible.

Hyperglycemia leads to the development of atherosclerosis, damage to blood vessels and nerves, coronary heart disease, and impaired sensitivity of the limbs. Blindness, gangrene, chronic renal failure, heart attack, and stroke may develop. All these changes accumulate day after day due to high blood sugar levels.

In type 1 diabetes, the pancreatic cells that produce insulin gradually die, so there is only one treatment - regular administration of insulin.

For type 2 diabetes mellitus, both medications and various forms of insulin can be used. Typically, the introduction of insulin on a regular basis occurs when all the possibilities of drug combinations have been used, but there is no effect. It is on an ongoing basis, because insulin can be administered temporarily to relieve the toxic effect of hyperglycemia.

Only for type 2 diabetes can medications be used, not insulin.

Now more about drugs other than insulin.

Heavy foods for the stomach

Below is a list of foods that are not good for the stomach. They can irritate the walls and lead to painful conditions of the digestive organs and the formation of ulcers, bloating, pain, difficult digestion, and heartburn. These products include:

• fast food;
• fatty food;
• fried foods;
• very spicy food;
• high consumption of herbs and spices;
• low-quality products (spoiled);
• alcohol and soda;