Walnut consumption changes the gut microbiome and increases levels of strains of Lactobacillus, Roseburia, and Ruminococcaceae.
In research(1), conducted by the Louisiana State University Medical Sciences Center, half a cup of chopped walnuts was given to one group of rats; an equivalent group receiving none.
Ten days later the group receiving the walnuts had a completely different make-up of gut bacteria, with an increase in the above bacteria and a decrease in the strains of bacteria known(2) to cause gut inflammatory diseases like IBS and Crohn’s.
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Chris Woollams, former Oxford University Biochemist said, “We know that walnuts are a superfood and an important aide in the colourful Mediterranean Diet. One study on the Rainbow Diet website (3) showed how they reduced illness and increased longevity. They are rich in fibre, good fats, omega 3, and alpha-linoleic acid and full of antioxidants. Here we see the response of gut bacteria. Walnuts act as a prebiotic – the perfect food for certain gut bacteria, increasing key strains with the net effect of reducing inflammation in the body”.
References
- Lauri O. Byerley, Derrick Samuelson, Eugene Blanchard, Meng Luo, Brittany N. Lorenzen, Shelia Banks, Monica A. Ponder, David A Welsh, Christopher M. Taylor. Changes in the Gut Microbial Communities Following Addition of Walnuts to the Diet. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 2017; DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2017.07.001
- https://genomebiology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/gb-2012-13-9-r79
- www.the-rainbow-diet.com
