Walnut is one of the four famous dried fruits. It is round, with extremely hard shell, symmetrical distribution of pulp, and uneven surface, which is very similar to our brain. According to the folk theory of “filling shape with shape”, it is quite popular to eat walnuts to nourish the brain, especially the elderly believe that eating more walnuts can enhance memory and prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
He Yingchun, director of the Department of Pre-treatment and Chief Chinese Medicine Physician of Hangzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, believes that from a scientific point of view, there is no theoretical basis for the saying that “use the shape to complement the shape”, but the saying that walnuts nourish the brain does exist. . It’s just not because of “filling the shape with shape”, but because of the ingredients of walnut, it has the effect of “medicine and food homology”.
Medicine and food are of the same origin, and it is necessary for the elderly to eat some.
The so-called “medicine and food are of the same origin”, simply put, the sources of traditional Chinese medicine and food are the same, and the major ones are the same. Some things have the function of curing diseases and can also be eaten as food, that is, they can be used as medicine and food, and walnut is one of them.
Director He Yingchun introduced that walnut is sweet, astringent, and warm in nature.
Walnut can invigorate the kidney. It is generally used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat frequent urination, urgency, dysuria, lumbar muscle soreness, and tinnitus caused by kidney deficiency. Secondly, walnut has the effect of warming the lungs and calming asthma, and is generally used in clinical cough for kidney deficiency type. Director He Yingchun introduced that there is a classic recipe for cough in traditional Chinese medicine: “ginseng and walnut soup”. The main ingredients are ginseng and walnut.
The theory of traditional Chinese medicine believes that “the kidneys govern the bones and the marrow leads to the brain”. Since walnuts can nourish the kidneys, they can naturally strengthen the brains. Therefore, the treatment of senile dementia in traditional Chinese medicine often starts from the perspective of invigorating the kidney, and uses the “spleen-boosting essence and kidney-invigorating formula” to invigorate the kidney and prevent senile dementia.
In addition, there is a very good thing in walnuts – distraction wood, which is the part that separates the walnut kernels, with a thin film, use it to boil water and drink, it can help sleep and calm the nerves . At the same time, the nature and taste of distractor wood is bitter, astringent, and flat, and it belongs to the spleen and kidney meridians. Leukorrhea, diarrhea, dysentery, etc., are generally taken orally and taken in decoction.
“The main effect of distraction wood is to soothe the nerves and help sleep. Good sleep is very helpful for enhancing memory, so it is necessary for the elderly to eat some.” Director He Yingchun introduced.
Rich in unsaturated fatty acids and promote brain development
From the perspective of Western medicine, walnuts are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids. This substance has the effect of promoting fetal brain development. Without these substances, the normal function of the brain will indeed be affected.
In addition, the content of vitamin E in walnuts is also very high, which is a kind of vitamin with antioxidant effect, which can help to remove lipid peroxides in the body and has a certain effect on preventing atherosclerosis; It can also protect unsaturated fatty acids and certain enzymes from oxidation, thereby maintaining the normal structure and function of cell membranes.
In addition, walnuts also contain flavonoids, polyphenol compounds and other plant compounds, and also contain certain antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, which play an important role in human health.
“It can be seen that walnuts are essentially a kind of high-quality food, and eating in moderation is good for human health.” Director He Yingchun suggested.
Although it is good to eat walnuts, there are some small points
Walnuts are rich in nutrients and high in fat, so we must control the amount, eat too much, it is difficult to digest, and obese people are not easy to digest. It is recommended to eat.
Director He Yingchun suggested that you can eat two walnuts a day, in the morning and evening on an empty stomach, which is not only easy to absorb, promotes defecation, but also increases satiety.
“I usually eat it when I get off work in the afternoon. I’m a little hungry at this time. I can increase my energy on the way to get off work, and I can do more with one stone.” Director He Yingchun shared his experience of eating walnuts, “but I suggest that everyone usually Mainly eat raw large walnuts, not processed pecans.” Because there are walnuts with artificially added sugar or salt, it will destroy the nutrition of the walnuts themselves. An unnecessary burden is placed on the body.
If it is for kidney and sleep aid, it is recommended to take it before going to bed. Because from 21:00 to 24:00 at night is the time when the kidneys are weakest, eating walnuts at this time can also warm the kidneys and absorb qi.