Author: Al Sears MD

When I was growing up in Kentucky, my grandparents had a grove of walnut trees. So… I ate a lot of walnuts. My grandmother cooked with them, baked with them, and we ate them by the handful for snacks. She always said they were good for you. How right she was.

A new study shows that eating walnuts could reduce your risk of breast cancer. With just a handful of nuts (2 ounces) a day, mice delayed the onset of cancerous tumors.1

You see, walnuts contain a trio of cancer fighters – phytosterols, omega-3s, and flavonoids.

Phytosterols. Studies show that these nutrient compounds can inhibit tumors from forming in the breast and shrink them if they are already there.2

In addition to walnuts, you can find phytosterols in:

Working all of these foods into your diet will help you protect your body from the dreaded “C” word. Still walnuts are the only super food that offers all these cancer-fighting compounds in one.

To get the freshest, most nutritious walnuts, follow these tips:

• If you’re buying walnuts in the shell, make sure the shells don’t have any defects – look for little wormholes. Give the shells a little shake. If they rattle when you shake them, they are probably old and over dried.

• Store shelled walnuts in an airtight package. You can store them up to about 6 months if you keep them in the refrigerator. Up to a year in the freezer.

• If you prefer unshelled walnuts, look for a freshness date on the package. The high oil content makes them highly perishable. Heat and humidity will speed up the process. As with the shelled walnuts, keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator and they will last for several months too. Longer in the freezer.

Aside from popping a handful of walnuts in your mouth, there are many ways to enjoy them. Sprinkle a handful on your salad or yogurt, or experiment with your favorite recipes. I like to add them to chicken salad or sautéed vegetables.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

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