Well hi! So, you’re a farmer in ancient China. (Hey I know you’re not, but play along with
me, huh? -- and you’ve finally finished up for the day. You grab a handful of walnuts before you sit
down for some much-needed relaxation. What do you do? A: Crack them open, and eat ‘em, of course! B: Roll them in your hands for a few minutes. C: Practice your juggling skills? We’ll save C for the circus-act hopefuls. B would’ve been a popular choice back then,
but I’ll get into that a bit later. So let’s pick the most obvious option: A.
If you eat just a handful of walnuts a day, you’ll see all kinds of positive changes
in your health and wellness! Hey, you’ll like what you see in the mirror
too! Let’s do a rundown all the benefits. 1. Less hair fall
A healthy head of hair can make or break a person’s appearance and confidence. And when you notice all that shedding in the
shower, you feel like the world is coming to an end. (You also feel like you have a new little
pet each time you clear the drain. “I’ll call this one Walter…”) The good news is, eating your daily dose of
walnuts will help prevent hair loss. These brainy-looking nuts contain selenium,
an essential mineral for our bodies to carry out some basic functions. Experts say that people who don’t get enough
selenium tend to struggle with balding and hair fall. 2. Faster stronger hair growth
Walnuts have another fancy element called biotin, which not only helps with hair fall,
but also makes your hair grow faster! Biotin does this by pumping up the production
of keratin in your body. Keratin acts as a protective moisturizing
layer on your strands. That’s why you’ll also see less breakage
and splitting, since your hair will be stronger! 3. Stronger nails
Any time you’re dealing with stuff that’s good for your hair, you can pretty much guarantee
it’ll help your nails out too. So, I’ll keep it short: if your nails are
thin and constantly splitting and breaking, better snack on some walnuts each day. Any guesses what could be next? We’re talking about keratin here – the
protein that makes up your hair, nails, and… 4. Youthful radiant skin
Walnuts help your body fight free radical damage. Free-radicals are molecules from your environment
and the foods you eat that cling onto the collagen your body produces. Imagine your skin is like a bed sheet. When it’s clean and ironed, it feels and
looks perfectly smooth. But when it’s dirty and wrinkled, yuck,
nobody wants to lie on that! That’s what happens to your skin when free
radicals tamper with your collagen. Then you get breakouts, your skin looks tired,
dehydrated, and fine lines and wrinkles show up. The boatload of antioxidants found in walnuts
neutralize those free radicals. Once your skin regains its elasticity, (dohingggg!)
then fine lines and tiredness clear out and make way for a clear, plump, and glowing complexion! 5. Cold and flu who? That same selenium stuff that makes your hair
thick and strong is also vital for your immune health. You see, you need your body’s defense system
to be strong so that all that nasty stuff out there in the world doesn’t make you
sick. And there’s plenty of dirty hazards all
around you: door handles, light switches, even your own phone is covered in germs! (“Traitor! I thought I could trust you!”) Protect yourself and strengthen your immune
system with the help of all that selenium in walnuts! 6. Better concentration (Um, huh?) According to one Harvard study, eating walnuts
every day improves cognitive performance. In other words: it makes it easier for your
brain to take in and process information. But the most important perk is that they help
you concentrate on one task at a time and stay focused for longer, which is a lifesaver
when you’re in school or at some boring meeting at work. Getting a daily dose of walnuts has also been
found to protect brain cells from deteriorating with age. 7. A good mood
Walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. According to the National Institute of Health,
people who don’t get enough omega 3s in their diet are more likely to feel sad and
maybe even depressed. The thing is, our brains produce a hormone
called serotonin, which is responsible for controlling anxiety, boosting happiness, and
improving our mood. When your brain doesn’t produce enough serotonin,
you get the opposite: negative feelings and mood swings. Omega-3s help your body produce more of that
hormone to keep all that negativity away! 8. Weight loss
If you grab a handful of walnuts, (about 5 – 8), you might be a little hesitant to
find out that you’re about to take in 185 calories. But no worries! Studies have shown that your body absorbs
only 21% of those calories. What’s even better is that you feel fuller
for longer, so they lower your appetite. Another study showed that people who consumed
smoothies containing walnuts had a notable decrease in cravings for junk food. Case in point: if you’re looking to lose
a little extra weight, exchange the greasy chips for walnuts when it comes to snack time! 9. Easier workouts
Gym goers will love this one. Walnuts contain a ton of magnesium, which
plays a huge role in exercise performance. When you work out, you need more magnesium
than when you’re just sitting around watching re-runs of your favorite sitcom. Magnesium does its duty by transferring blood
sugar into your muscles and getting rid of lactate. When you’re working out, lactate builds
up and causes muscle soreness. So, if you eat your healthy snack right before
the gym, you won’t have that painful nuisance. A handful of walnuts also contains more than
4 grams of protein, which is a must for people who work out regularly. 10. A big helping of essential vitamins and nutrients
Overall, walnuts are just a great source of all the good stuff your body needs that you
might not be getting enough of in your regular diet. They contain 65% healthy fats and 15% protein. They’re low in carbs, and most of those
carbs consist of fiber. That last one is really good for digestive
health and can take care of problems like bloating! Walnuts might do your body a whole lot of
good, but there are a few things you should be aware of before you go out and stock up
on this health-boosting little nut. - People who are prone to eczema breakouts
or ulcers should consume walnuts carefully to prevent them from triggering any skin conditions. - Just 5 – 8 walnuts are more than enough. Otherwise, they might cause bloating and even
headaches. Remember: everything in moderation. Alright, now let’s go back to the farm. Remember about that other possible option
I mentioned? Yeah Juggling. Watch this .. ooh, ah, Ta-DAH! Hey sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes
you don’t. Anyway, let’s talk about the other option:
rolling the walnuts around in your hands. Well, back in the day, this practice was known
as “walnut therapy” because of all the health benefits it supposedly had. Listening to the sound of walnuts rubbing
together was believed to cleanse the mind and help calm you down after a stressful day. Also, just rolling them around in your hands
was thought to help with joint pain and slowing down the aging of the bones. Sounds a bit odd, but it gets even more…
interesting! According to some traditions, exceptionally
beautiful walnuts are passed down through families like jewels. And since they have a sedimentary value, oops,
a sentimental value, they’re kept forever… probably until someone gets hungry… In the last few years, walnuts have even become
a sort of collector’s item. Yeah, people are looking for ancient nuts
that have been passed through families for generations. I’ve got plenty of nuts in my family tree! They’re even willing to pay a hefty price
for them! This could explain why in some flea markets
in China, people are sold counterfeit walnuts filled with rocks! Oh, that’s nuts… Hey, do you have a favorite kind of nut? No, I didn’t mean me, but thanks! Feel free to share down in the comments! If you learned something new today, then give
this video a like and share it with a friend. But – hey! – don’t go nuts on me just
yet! We have over 2,000 cool videos for you to
munch on! All you have to do is click on this left or
right video, and enjoy! Remember (say it with me now) Stay on the
Bright Side of life!
