While a bit more difficult to find than English walnuts (the type your grocery store likely carries), black walnuts are well worth tracking down to enjoy. Unlike English walnuts which are extensively cultivated in California as well as other parts of the world, black walnuts are not wildly cultivated, which is why they are less easy to find. Even so, black walnuts offer similar health benefits as their English cousins. Additionally, they actually contain more arginine and selenium, which are great for your health. If you’re looking for a fiber-rich snack that packs a wallop of nutrients in each bite, enjoy black walnuts and learn all the many ways that can enhance your well-being.

Ward off Candida

Candida, frequently referred to as yeast, occurs in mouths and digestive tracts to help with digestion. When it grows out of hand, often because of our diets, it can cause many unwanted symptoms like fungal infections (i.e., athlete’s foot), skin problems, mood swings, and even depression. By keeping candida in check, you can ensure that it does not cause these problems. Black walnuts have been shown to be effective for limiting candida growth. Probiotics also help fight candida so if you’re looking for a way to battle yeast through diet, consider grating some black walnut into your Greek yogurt each day for a couple of weeks and gauge the effects.

Promote Cardiovascular Health

Although black walnuts have somewhat less omega-3 fatty acids than English walnuts, they are still a good source of these monounsaturated fatty acids. These acids have a knack for reducing bad LDL cholesterol in the blood and, at the same time, boosting levels of beneficial HDL cholesterol. If you want to keep cardiovascular disease at bay, you need to adopt a heart-healthy diet. Black walnuts make a great snack that will promote your cardiovascular health while loading you up with plenty of other healthful nutrients too. Snack on black walnuts a couple of times each week to get their heart-healthy benefits.

Maintain Skin Health

According to some studies, black walnuts may have the power to help treat skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema, and acne. While there is some skin benefit that comes from eating black walnuts, you can also grind up their hulls to make a paste for your skin. Because this paste is powerful, it could also irritate your skin, so it’s best to mix it with other natural salves before applying it anywhere on your skin. Many people use this old remedy to prevent outbreaks before they occur. The high levels of antioxidants along with fatty acids nourish the skin to enhance its health. Folk practitioners also prescribe black walnuts to treat warts and cold sores with some degree of success.

Tame Your Sore Throat

If you’re suffering from a sore throat due to a cold or a cough, you can sooth its associated inflammation with black walnuts. The black walnuts contain essential fatty acids that soothe inflammation. If you have a severe sore throat, use some black walnut extract to gargle with for fast relief. In fact, it’s a good idea to keep this extract on hand during cold season.

Lose Weight

Black walnuts are great snacks for people trying to lose weight. First, black walnuts contain iodine which is important for ensuring optimum metabolic function. Slow metabolism is associated with weight gain. By keeping your metabolism in strong working order, you can make sure it’s churning those calories you put into your system. Secondly, black walnuts are rich in dietary fiber. Fiber not only keeps your digestive tract working properly; it also makes you feel full for a longer period. When you’re heading to work or running out for errands, take some black walnuts along to snack on between meals so you won’t be tempted to eat something you shouldn’t.

Purge Parasites

Practitioners of folk medicine have long prescribed black walnut as a treatment for parasites like tapeworms, pinworms, or other intestinal parasites. Once in our digestive tract, parasites can rob us of our nutrients and sabotage our health. According to historical evidence, ancient Romans employed a three-part black walnut remedy to treat intestinal parasites. They used the nuts, leaves, and hulls to make a potent treatment. If you’re worried you might have ingested parasites, you should likely see your doctor, but do yourself a favor and enjoy some black walnuts on the way there!

Decrease Sweating

Do you sweat excessively? If so, be sure to add more black walnuts to your diet. This super food has astringent properties that can tone down overactive sweat glands. While many edible plants also contain these tannins, not all are as delicious and as easy to snack on as black walnuts. Although you should consult your doctor to find out why your glands are overproducing sweat, you can find some relief by eating black walnuts.

Anti-Cancer Properties

According to on-going research, black walnuts may have the power to slow or prevent the development of cancerous tumors. Black walnuts contain polyphenol compounds that have anti-carcinogenic properties. The juglone contained in black walnuts appears to be able to kill cancer cells just as it can eradicate digestive parasites. Although you can eat these walnuts plain, you can add them to cookies, muffins, or other baked goods to enjoy the health benefits they deliver.

Improve Sleep

Insomnia can become a vicious cycle. Without enough proper sleep, the body’s physical and mental health can suffer. Black walnuts are a rich source of melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate your day/night cycle. By making black walnuts a routine part of your diet, you may be able to improve your sleep schedule without the use of any other aids. If you can get to sleep without the use of prescription medications, you can avoid their unwanted side effects.

Help Controlling Diabetes

If you have diabetes, you might want to talk to your physician about adding black walnuts to your healthy eating plan. Black walnuts may be able to help enhance blood vessel function and decrease fasting insulin levels. Some studies suggest that it doesn’t take too many of these nuts to enjoy some benefits. By snacking on black walnuts a couple of times each week, you may find that they will help control your diabetes.