Why walnuts should be soaked before consuming in any season | The Times of India (2024)

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Why walnuts should be soaked before consuming in any season | The Times of India? ›

Walnuts, like many nuts, contain natural compounds that inhibit enzyme activity and can make them harder to digest. Soaking these nuts helps neutralize these compounds, breaking down enzymes that can interfere with nutrient absorption and digestion.

Soaking walnuts in water with added salt or vinegar is believed to help disinfect and clean the nuts, reducing the risk of foodborne illness. This can be particularly important if the walnuts are not stored properly or if there are concerns about their freshness.

Walnuts should be soaked because doing so makes them easier for the body to digest than eating them raw. The phytic acid found in nuts, which is reduced by soaking walnuts, contributes to increased absorption as well. Raw walnut digestion may be more difficult for those with weak gut.

What are the best ways to eat walnuts? To maximize the health benefits, look for raw, unsalted walnuts. You can eat them alone as a snack or add them to your oatmeal in the morning. While walnuts have plenty of health benefits, it's still important to not overeat.

Soaked walnuts offer numerous health benefits, particularly in winter. They are rich in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and other essential nutrients. Soaking enhances nutrient bioavailability, facilitates digestion, and helps maintain skin health.

May Reduce Stress and Improve Mental Health

A 2022 study published in Nutrients revealed that eating about two servings of walnuts a day for 16 weeks improved self-reported levels of stress and depression, aided in a longer period of sleep, and improved overall mental health.

Experts agree that to reap the benefits, one should soak the walnuts for about 6-7 hours or overnight. And on an average, a healthy individual can have 3-4 soaked pieces of walnuts.

Best time to eat walnuts, how to add them to your diet

"The best time to eat walnuts in summers is in the morning. You can soak 6 to 8 halves of walnuts at night and consume them on an empty stomach. You can also add them to your smoothies or make walnut chutney. Ground walnuts can be sprinkled on salads," says Bakshi.

Excessive consumption of walnuts may cause diarrhea, bloating, stomach pain or kidney stones. Too many walnuts may also inhibit the absorption of dietary iron, calcium and zinc.

For example, flax seeds turn into a mucilaginous goo in water, and brazil nuts don't always soak well due to their high fat content. Peanuts can also be soaked, however I didn't include them as they should be consumed sparingly due to inflammatory and allergenic potential.

Is it safe to eat walnuts everyday? ›

Eating walnuts may be one way to support the health of your microbiota and your gut. In a 2018 study , 194 healthy adults ate 1.5 oz (43 g) of walnuts every day for 8 weeks. At the end, they showed an increase in beneficial bacteria compared to a period of not eating walnuts.

Clearly, almonds have the advantage when it comes to the powerful antioxidant Vitamin E, but walnuts offer a higher Omega-3 fatty acid content. The ALA Omega-3 fatty acids gained from walnuts are essential and tied to brain health, reduced inflammation, heart health, and more.

Soaked walnuts are always better as it contains phytic acid. If you consume un soaked walnut the phytic acid present it on it binds with the minerals in the gastrointestinal tract and affects the absorption of minerals leading to its defeciency.

Shruti Bharadwaj, Senior Clinical Dietician, Narayana Hrudayalaya says soaking walnuts helps improve their digestibility and also remove phytic acid and tannin. "Soaking can also help prevent indigestion as it helps reduce gas forming compounds. It also reduces polyphenols and increase nutrient availability.

You can store soaked nuts in your refrigerator for 5-7 days until you eat them or use them in a recipe. To stock your pantry with soaked ingredients, however, you will need to dehydrate them. This requires a dehydrator, which can be purchased online.

What's more, walnuts are usually eaten raw. So they have greater antioxidant abilities than nuts that are usually eaten roasted. (Antioxidants help prevent or reduce the artery-damaging oxidation that contributes to heart disease).