We have given you many reasons to eat nuts every day. Now, a team of researchers from the University of Connecticut Health and the Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine have discovered one more: walnuts may reduce the risk of developing colon cancer, the third most common cancer in the world.
For their research, the scientists experimented with a group of mice that they fed walnuts (walnuts accounted for 7-10.5% of their total calories each day, the equivalent of about 30 grams of this nut ). The results of this diet revealed fewer cases of colon cancer.
” Our results show for the first time that the consumption of walnuts can reduce the development of colon tumors, ” says Daniel W. Rosenberg of the University of Connecticut Health and leader of the work.
This positive effect of one of the most nutritious and healthy foods that exist may be due to its monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, in addition to having significant amounts of vitamin E and minerals. And is that a handful of walnuts contains almost twice more antioxidants than an equivalent amount of another hard-shelled dried fruit.
“ There is no evidence that ingesting walnuts can offer a variety of benefits related to issues such as cancer. But this study shows that walnuts can also act as a probiotic to keep the colon healthy , which in turn offers protection against colon cancer, ”says Rosenberg.
