Researchers from the University of Barcelona and the Rovira i Virgili University have shown that eating nuts increases levels of serotonin , a substance that helps transmit nerve signals, reduces hunger, improves mood and promotes heart health , in addition to reducing abdominal obesity and hypertension. Their findings are published in the Journal of Proteome Research .
In a series of experiments they found that incorporating a daily handful of walnuts in the diet for 12 weeks , produced important metabolic changes. Specifically, urinalysis showed that serotonin levels increased while the levels of substances associated with inflammation and cardiovascular risk factors decreased that people with metabolic syndrome, also called syndrome X , usually suffer from, which groups together several diseases: high blood pressure, increased sugar levels, low levels of good cholesterol (HDL) and excess fat around the waist.
According to the authors, walnuts contain unsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants (polyphenols) that may explain their beneficial effects.
