A new study suggests that walnut consumption may be beneficial for digestive health by increasing the amount of good probiotic-type bacteria in the gut. Walnuts do this by acting as a prebiotic to help nourish and grow the bacteria that keeps the digestive system healthy. Researchers found that a diet with walnuts led to an overall significant increase in the diversity of bacteria in the gut.
“Gut health is an emerging research area, but we are seeing that greater bacterial diversity may be associated with better health outcomes, whereas low diversity has been linked to conditions such as obesity and inflammatory bowel disease,” said Lead Researcher Lauri Byerley, PhD, RD Associate Professor of Research in the Physiology Department at Louisiana State University.
In this animal study, rats were randomly assigned to a diet containing ground walnuts, equivalent to about two ounces (1/2 cup) per day in humans, or a diet without walnuts for up to 10 weeks. Calorie and nutrient intake was similar between the two diet groups.
