Essential Extracts: Cold Pressed Walnut Oil

Walnuts are often regarded as one of the healthiest and most delicious nut options worldwide. Walnut oil, made by pressing these round, single-seeded stone whole fruits, has been a mainstay in the diets of many cultures for over a thousand years. This tasty oil comes in both refined and unprocessed versions, each with its unique flavour profile, and may be used in various culinary applications.

Essential extracts are rich in all three types of healthy fats—saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. Walnut oil, on the other hand, is mainly composed of polyunsaturated fats. All the health advantages of walnuts are present in walnut oil. 

They also include a lot of ALA, an omega-3 fatty acid found in plants. You may get your daily recommended intake of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) omega-3 fatty acid with just one spoonful of walnut oil.

Table of Contents

1. Walnut Oil: Extraction

2. Nutritional Value Of Walnut Oil

3. Health Benefits Of Walnut Oil

4. Dietitian’s  Recommendations

5. The Final Say 

6. FAQs

Walnut Oil: Extraction
After being dried, walnut kernels with more than 60% fat content are processed into walnut oil. It is possible to extract the oil by either cold pressing, hot pressing, or chemical means. However, the highest-grade walnut oil is produced by a process that involves cold pressing followed by filtering. Refining is often done to eliminate some of the bitter compounds from oils of simple grade (oil from the extraction or hot pressing).

The nuts are first cracked open and then dried. Walnuts are often lightly roasted before being pressed, resulting in more fragrant and tasty oil. The nut kernels are de-oiled and pressed in a screw press without applying any heat. Therefore, the process is called cold pressing. 

In a hot press, the oil is extracted after being subjected to high temperatures. Then, a mechanical hot-pressing using a screw press is carried out. The oil is then filtered many times to eliminate the turbidity and lees. Then, the unwelcome components are removed during the refining process. The result is an oil with a long shelf life and minimal smell or flavour.

Nutritional Value Of Walnut Oil

As per USDA (The United States Department of Agriculture), 100 g of cold-pressed walnut oil holds the following nutritional properties:

• Calories-  884 kcal
• Fat- 100g
• Total monounsaturated fatty acids-  22.8 g
• Total polyunsaturated fatty acids-  63.3 g
• Vitamin K- 15 mcg

Some Other Nutritional Facts 

As per various studies, consuming 2300 milligrams of walnut oil is recommended per day to reap proper benefits. This can act as good fats in various diets and detox plans that ToneOp offers to improve metabolism, weight loss, muscle gain and many more. Other macronutrients present in walnut oil are given below:

1. Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are responsible for providing the energy needed by the human body to perform daily tasks. Unfortunately, there are no carbohydrates in walnut oil. You can, however, increase your carbohydrate intake by pan-frying carbohydrate-rich foods in walnut oil.

2. Proteins

Proteins are responsible for building and repairing our body tissues and coordinating our body’s functions. Unfortunately, walnut oil does not provide any protein to our bodies.

3. Rich Source of Vitamins and Minerals

Walnut oil contains a few vitamins, including vitamin K, vitamin E, vitamin B2, vitamin B1, and vitamin B3. For example, one tablespoon of walnut oil contains 3% of the vitamin K that an adult human body requires daily. Similarly, walnut oil contains 1% of the daily requirement for vitamin E.

4. Rich in Good Fats
Health polyunsaturated fats are the main component of walnut oil. Polyunsaturated fats account for 63% of the total fat in walnut oil. The remaining fat comprises 23% monounsaturated monounsaturated monounsaturated, and 10% saturated fats. Canola oil, which is high in omega-3 fatty acids, contains less per serving.

Your body converts these into small amounts of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). For example, one tablespoon of walnut oil contains approximately 1.4 grams of ALA. This amount alone provides nearly 100% of the omega-3 fatty acids required by adults aged 19 to 50. 

According to studies, an adult man's Adequate Intake (AI) of ALA is around 1.6 g per day, and an adult woman's AI is around 1.1 g per day.

Health Benefits Of Cold-Pressed Walnut Oil 

Walnut oil is high in nutritional content and serves many health benefits, which are as follows: 

1. Maintains Heart Health

Walnut oil is beneficial to your heart health. Polyunsaturated fats and plant-based ALA omega-3 fatty acids are to blame. According to research, omega-3 fatty acids can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering triglycerides while increasing good HDL (high-density lipoprotein). Furthermore, walnut oil contains ALA omega-3 fatty acids and natural polyphenols that can help lower blood pressure.

2. Helps Reduce Stress

Walnut oil's ALA omega-3 fatty acids and natural polyphenols have been shown in studies to help lower blood pressure. Furthermore, the findings show that walnuts and walnut oil lower blood pressure during stress. As a result, it may aid in preparing the body to cope better with stress.

3. Enhances Skin Health

The various nutrients in walnut oil can help improve your skin's health. Omega-3 fatty acids, for example, are known for stimulating skin growth, combating inflammatory skin disorders, and promoting wound healing. 

As a result, the omega-3s in walnut oil can serve the same purpose. Moreover, walnuts are high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid, which is one of the primary fatty acids found in the outermost layer of our skin. 

The greasy texture of walnut oil can help reduce fine lines and fight signs of ageing effectively. On the other hand, those with oily or acne-prone skin should exercise caution when applying walnut oil topically.

4. Enhances Hair Texture

Walnut oil's omega-3 fatty acids protect cells and aid in the prevention of hair loss. Furthermore, applying it prevents the scalp from becoming flaky, preventing dandruff.

Additionally, walnut oil is high in potassium, which aids in cell regeneration and hair growth. It also helps to strengthen the roots and add volume to your hair. To reap the benefits of walnut oil, gently massage it into your scalp once a week. You can take many other steps to improve damaged hair and repair its quality.

You may also read: Home Remedies For Luscious Shiny Hair Before Wedding!

5. Reduces Inflammation

Walnut oil has been shown to reduce chronic inflammation associated with certain cancers, heart diseases, and other health issues. Walnut oil is an excellent source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). ALA has also been shown in studies to reduce the production of inflammatory proteins in the body.

Furthermore, walnuts are high in ellagitannins, which are polyphenols. These polyphenols can be converted by bacteria in our gut into other beneficial compounds. These compounds are anti-inflammatory and can act as antioxidants, preventing cell damage caused by free radical molecules.

6. Helps In Diabetes Management

Walnut oil can help with poor blood sugar control as it contains no sugar or carbohydrates. As a result, regular consumption of the same can lower your blood sugar level and prevent any complications that a high blood sugar level can cause. Eye and kidney damage, heart disease, and other complications are possible. So should be taken into limits.

According to some studies, consuming one tablespoon of walnut oil or 15 g/day for three months by a group with type 2 diabetes significantly reduced blood sugar levels. Furthermore, it did not affect weight or blood pressure in type 2 diabetics.

7. Anti-cancer Effect

Consumption of walnuts is linked to a lower risk of certain cancers. This is due to the presence of urolithins derived from ellagitannin. 

8. Reduces Blood Pressure

Walnut oil may help reduce hypertension, a major risk factor for heart disease. According to research, diets high in whole walnuts can help lower blood pressure, owing to their high levels of ALA, LA, and polyphenols. This is because walnut oil contains these compounds and may have similar effects.

Dietitian’s Recommendations

Walnut oil is a nutritious and flavorful oil that comes in unrefined cold-pressed or expeller-pressed walnut oil, refined walnut oil, and toasted walnut oil. While it is not ideal for cooking, it is suitable for baking, vinaigrette, and sauce. Furthermore, the presence of ALA, the omega-3 fatty acid in walnut oil, makes the oil extremely beneficial to our health. 

-Dietitian Lavina Chauhan

The Final Say

Walnut oil is a delicious, nutty oil pressed from whole walnuts. It is high in omega-3 fatty acid ALA and other unsaturated fatty acids, as well as antioxidants, ellagitannins and other polyphenol compounds. Consuming walnut oil may thus improve blood sugar levels and heart health, among other things. However, more research is required.

FAQs

1. Is walnut oil healthier than olive oil?

Walnuts are one of the few plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids (other sources include flaxseed oil, canola oil and soybean oil). Walnut oil has about 10 times more alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, the essential omega-3 fatty acid in plants) than olive oil. 

2. Should I store walnut oil in the fridge?

Some cooking oils, such as walnut and almond oil, must be kept cool to stave off spoilage. However, storing oil in the fridge will keep it fresh for longer. The oil may turn solid, but take it out of the refrigerator before cooking, and it will reliquefy.

3. Is walnut oil good for your liver?

Of all types of nuts, walnuts are the most beneficial for reducing fatty liver disease. This is thanks to their higher antioxidant and fatty acid content. Walnuts have the most omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids and polyphenol antioxidants.

4. Should walnut oil be refrigerated after opening?

Walnut oil has a limited shelf life, about 6-12 months. Once opened, all nut oils should be kept in a cool place out of the light or refrigerated to prevent them from becoming rancid.

5.  How much walnut oil should I take daily?

Consuming 1 tablespoon (15g) of walnut oil is good for health.

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