Eat this amount for a healthy gut.
THE SCIENCE
Eating 1.5 servings (1/3 cup) of walnuts daily increases levels of health-promoting gut bacteria after just three weeks, according to a new study published in the Journal of Nutrition.
EXPERT INSIGHT
“Gut bacteria live in a complex ecosystem,” says study author David J. Baer, Ph.D., supervisory research physiologist at the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service. Higher levels of good bacteria are associated with reduced inflammation in the digestive tract and less damage to cells there.
The results bode well for your disease risk, but you won’t necessarily notice any changes. “The link between low-level inflammation throughout the body and how someone feels is not well established,” Baer explains. (Even though soreness is caused by inflammation, walnuts won’t help you there.)
The results bode well for your disease risk, but you won’t necessarily notice any changes. “The link between low-level inflammation throughout the body and how someone feels is not well established,” Baer explains. (Even though soreness is caused by inflammation, walnuts won’t help you there.)
THE BOTTOM LINE
Eat one and a half servings of walnuts per day to improve gut health—just adjust the rest of your diet to avoid weight gain.