Walnuts, the single-seed fruit that strongly resembles that of a stone and which originated from the Central Asia and the Mediterranean region, are considered one of the healthiest nuts as they are filled with numerous health-boosting nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids.

If you look at a walnut closely, the surface of the nut looks very similar to the brain, with the creases and lines. Thus, it is also commonly referred to as a brain food as it can also boost brain health!

Walnut oil is extracted from these highly beneficial nuts, and it contains a nutty flavor and a light aroma. It is an organic oil that can be used as a base or a carrier for essential oil dilution for massage and aromatherapy. The cold-pressed walnut oil undoubtedly contains most of the nutrients from walnuts which are important and beneficial for our health as compared to the refined walnut oil.

Read on to find out more about what this health booster oil can do!

Health Benefits of Walnut Organic Oil:

1. Gets Rid of Skin Fungal Infections

Walnut oil possesses antibacterial and antifungal properties, thus making it a great agent for relieving common skin fungal infections like jock itch, athlete’s foot and candida as it eradicates the bacteria and fungi away from the skin, thus speeding up the healing process.

Since walnut organic oil is considered to be a carrier oil, you can blend similar antibacterial and antifungal essential oils like tea tree oil with equal parts of walnut oil to be applied onto the affected areas until the surrounding area is free from the infections.

2. Helps Prevent Ageing Signs

As abovementioned, walnut oil contains abundant amounts of antioxidants like vitamin B, vitamin E and ellagic acid. All these compounds help to reduce or prevent signs of ageing like wrinkles, fine lines, loose and sagging skin as well as age spots.

They all seek to counter the damaging effects of free radicals and oxidative stress, thus keeping your skin’s youthful radiance and toning up your skin further. Also, it protects the skin from incurring diseases and cancer.

Simply apply walnut oil in its undiluted form onto the skin, or mix it with other antioxidant-rich essential oils and massage onto your face. You can even add a few drops of it into your daily skincare products and night creams.

3. Improves Heart Health

Additionally, walnut oil contains cardio-protective benefits due to the prevalence of linolenic acid (ALA), or commonly referred to as omega-3 fatty acids. It is a form of monounsaturated fats which are beneficial for lowering “bad” cholesterol levels in the body.

As such, this helps to prevent a whole range of cardiovascular diseases as it reduces the risks of your arteries being blocked by such “bad” fats.

In fact, there has been a substantial amount of scientific research to back this up. A 2003 study found in SAGE Journals database illustrates how walnut oil possesses lipid-lowering effects in the population of southern Iran. For those who took walnut oil in capsule form, their lipid profiles and plasma triglyceride concentrations decreased by 19%, which was indeed a significant change.

As such, walnut oil makes for a good anti-hypertriglyceridemic natural remedy. Another 2011 study conducted by researchers from The Pennsylvania State University found that the oil significantly increased cholesterol efflux meaning it facilitates the release of excess cholesterol out from the body. Thus, it can reduce cholesterol levels and in turn, boost heart health as the risks of cardiovascular diseases are mitigated.

You can consider adding a drop of walnut oil into a glass of water, cup of tea or into your culinary dishes to reap the beneficial effects of the oil on heart health.

4. Promotes Hair Growth

Walnut oil is also great for stimulating hair growth and to make your hair smooth. It strengthens your hair follicles and prevents them from becoming too dry and brittle, thus preventing hair loss. Coupled with its antibacterial properties, you can even get rid of dandruff and flaky scalp by using this oil!

In fact, you can even mix walnut oil and egg yolks together to form a mixture and apply onto your scalp to stimulate hair growth. The combination of protein and essential fatty acids will penetrate deep into the hair follicles and greatly facilitate hair growth, since our hair is mostly made up of protein and water.

Alternatively, if you find the mixture too messy, then you can simply blend walnut oil with other essential oils that equally promotes hair growth too.

5. Supports Mental Growth

Due to the abundance of omega-3 fatty acids, walnut oil can greatly boost your brain health. Just as how walnuts are regarded as brain foods, using walnut oil can similarly augment your mental health as it makes you more alert and improves cognition. It enhances the transmission of nerve signals, which are necessary for thinking, learning and memory.

Additionally, a 2013 research study published in the International Journal of Science and Research notes how walnut oil, with its rich omega-3 fatty acid content, helps to manage stress levels and keeps blood pressure levels in check too. This therefore helps to augment mental health as well.

Therefore, you can consume a drop of walnut oil with a glass of water or into your dishes to provide an energetic boost to your brain and to enhance your brain functions so as to improve cognition levels.

Safety Precautions:

• Walnut organic oil is safe to be ingested but do not consume in large amounts because it is extremely potent. Also, do consult your doctor first for professional medical advice prior to ingesting the oil and including the oil in your diet.

• If you have pre-existing medical conditions like blood pressure problems, diabetes or others and are under prescribed medication, please consult with your doctor first too before taking walnut oil internally.

• Not enough research has been done to evaluate the oil’s safety on pregnant/breastfeeding women, so do consult your doctor first before using the oil.

• Even though walnut oil is a base oil, do perform a skin patch test first before applying it undiluted and directly onto the skin to ensure you do not have any allergic or sensitive reactions to the oil itself.

References:

M.J Zibaeenezhad, et al., “Antihypertriglyceridemic Effect of Walnut Oil” SAGE Journals (2003)

Zhang J, et al., “Walnut oil increases cholesterol efflux through inhibition of stearoyl CoA desaturase 1 in THP-1 macrophage-derived foam cells”, PubMed (2011)

Shreyasi Halder, Kazi Layla Khaled, “An Extensive Review on the Relationship between Food and Mood”, International Journal of Science and Research (2013); 6(14)