Walnut

Considering both medical and nutritional uses, the walnut can be called one of the most valuable nuts. The fruits of the plant are eaten, and not only the leaves of the tree and its fruits, but also their partitions, peel, and shells are used for medicinal purposes.

The walnut tree is perennial (its lifespan can exceed 400 years), grows up to 30 meters in height and has a fairly spreading crown. It has a rather powerful trunk with a diameter of up to one and a half meters with cracking dark gray bark.

Walnut leaves are quite large and have an elongated ovoid shape, as well as a slight serration. Different-sex flowers appear on each walnut tree. Male flowers have up to eighteen stamens. Female flowers are located on a tree in two or three pieces or singly. They have two bracts.

The fruit of the plant is a drupe, in which the outer fleshy layer hides a ripening nut with a kernel and a hard shell. The shell of the nucleus is light brown in color. In different varieties, the size and shape of the fruit may vary. One fruit of a plant can have a mass of 5-23 grams.

The plant belongs to the walnut family. The walnut has eight genera and approximately 60 plant species.

The walnut grows mainly in the subtropical region, although now there are varieties that grow well and produce crops in the middle lane. In the wild, the plant is found in mountainous areas - in the Caucasus, in Asia, in Iran, in Afghanistan. In the same places, the walnut was cultivated. Now walnuts are cultivated in countries with a temperate and warm climate, for example, in Moldova and Ukraine, in the countries of Central Asia and others. On the territory of Russia, the plant is grown in the middle lane, as well as in the southern regions. Among the countries where walnuts are grown, the USA, China, Mexico, Turkey, India, Iran, France, Ukraine are in the lead.

Nuts begin to yield by the age of 15-20, and the most abundant fruiting is observed in 100-180-year-old trees. Unripe fruits are harvested in May-June, and ripe nuts - in the autumn. The collection of mature nuts begins when the pericarp cracks and the fruits themselves fall to the ground. The ripening time is different for different varieties - they are early-ripening and medium-ripening, as well as late-ripening.

When choosing walnut fruits, you need to be careful and take into account such nuances:

• In elongated fruits, the shell is usually thinner than in round ones.
• Walnut kernels should be covered with a light brown shell.
• Do not buy nuts with a black core and spots on the shell.
• Smell the fruits and refuse to buy if you smell mold.
• If buying a nut from the market, ask the seller to taste one kernel and make sure it doesn't taste rancid.
• When buying nuts in the store, pay attention to expiration dates.

• Walnut trees provide a person with useful raw materials in the form of bark, roots, leaves and fruits.
• Walnut fruits are used to produce oil used in cosmetology, traditional medicine and cooking. This is a delicious and fragrant product.
• Walnut is very useful for children and expectant mothers. It is recommended for lactating mothers to increase lactation.

100 grams of walnut kernels contain:

Fruit kernels are highly nutritious:

• They contain up to 80% of fats, including oleic, myristic, linolenic, arachidonic, lauric, stearic and palmitic acids.
• Nuts also contain up to 16 percent protein and up to 12 percent carbohydrates, represented by sugars and starch. In the proteins contained in nuts, there are many essential amino acids for life.
• Walnut fruits are rich in vitamins, including vitamins B1, C, P, K B2, E, PP, provitamin A.
• Nuts have a high fiber content - 6-7 percent.
• Nuts contain approximately 4 percent of tannins (it is they that give the fruits a bitter, tart taste), as well as up to 9 percent of pectin.
• The fruits also contain mineral salts, organic acids, quinones, essential oils, flavonoids and other substances.
• Among the valuable compounds found in walnuts, phytosterols are distinguished, which have an anti-sclerotic effect.

Eating 50-100 grams of nuts is recommended for general strengthening of the body, as well as for:

• Avitaminosis
• Colds
• obesity
• Diabetes
• Colic, constipation, dysentery
• food poisoning
• heartburn
• impotence
• Cough
• Pain in the joints
• Tumors
• Bronchial asthma
• urolithiasis

You can learn more about the beneficial properties of walnuts in the following video. And also about how many kernels you need to eat to cover the daily intake of some vitamins.

Nuts are not recommended for:

• Individual intolerance
• Psoriasis
• Neurodermatitis
• high degree of obesity
• Increased blood clotting
• eczema
• Colitis

By abusing walnuts, a person runs the risk of acquiring hives and headaches. An excess of nuts in food threatens with the occurrence of spasms in the vessels of the brain, the appearance of irritation of the tonsils and a rash in the mouth.

Prolonged inhalation of the smell of walnut leaves can lead to headaches and sleep disturbance.

Walnut juice has a strong anthelmintic and choleretic effect.

Nut shells are rich in tannins, steroids, coumarins, phenol and carboxylic acids.

Recipes using the shell:

• With cervical erosion: The shell from a kilogram of nuts is washed with water and poured with boiling water (1500 ml). Next, the water with the shell must be brought to a boil and boil the raw materials for five minutes. Strained broth is diluted 10 times with boiled water and used for douching twice or thrice a day.
• To cleanse the vessels: The shell of fifteen nuts should be poured with 0.5 liters of vodka and insisted for two weeks. Strained infusion is taken before breakfast in a tablespoon.
• For skin ulcers: The shell of the nuts must be burned and turned into a powder, which should be sprinkled on the affected areas.
• Against urinary incontinence: Take 10 grams of powdered nutshell daily.
• To eliminate unwanted hair: Burnt nut shells are diluted with water until a liquid slurry is obtained. This gruel is applied to places where they want to get rid of hair growth.
• For skin inflammation: Prepare an infusion from the shell and partitions of the nut, filling the table. a spoonful of raw materials with a glass of boiling water. After keeping the infusion in a warm place for one hour and straining the liquid, use it for oral administration (drink 50 ml after meals three times a day) and externally (apply a moistened napkin).
• For hives and against itching: Pour 1500 milliliters of water with crushed nut shells (5 tablespoons), nettle and burdock roots (one tablespoon each). Boil the collection for 20 minutes, then add mint, sage, basil, lemon balm and valerian roots (a teaspoon of each plant) to the water and cook for another 10 minutes. The cooled broth should be filtered and taken within a month. Drink a tablespoon of this decoction after meals (two hours later) twice a day.
• For eczema: Keep the nut shells in the oven until dark brown, and when it has cooled, grind into a powder and mix with fish oil. Lubricate the affected areas with the resulting product.
• To remove radioactive substances: Shelled ash is a good absorbent. To prepare ash, the shell is broken into pieces, fried over low heat, stirring constantly, and when coal is formed, it is ground into powder. Such ashes should be drunk every three hours, stirring one or two tablespoons in a glass of water.

Walnut leaves are rich in carotene, fats (58-77%), proteins (9-21%), carbohydrates (starch, sucrose and glucose), flavonoids, glycosides and ascorbic acid.A decoction of them strengthens the gums, reduces inflammation of the throat and has a diuretic effect.

Walnut leaves are used as follows:

• For diarrhea and diabetes: Dried leaves are crushed and 1-2 tsp. spoons of raw materials are poured into a glass of boiling water. After insisting one hour in a thermos, the product is filtered and drunk before meals, half a glass 3-4 times a day. In diabetes, the remedy is taken within a month.
• With gastritis, tuberculosis of the lymph nodes, VVD, pathology of the uterus, eczema, epilepsy: 50 grams of dried leaves are poured with a liter of boiling water. You need to insist the remedy for two hours, and then strain and take 1/2-1 cup three times a day before meals for two to four weeks. This infusion is also applied externally against furunculosis, psoriasis, eczema, hemorrhoids, acne, seborrhea and hair loss.
• With atherosclerosis, urolithiasis, bile duct pathology, liver diseases and pulmonary tuberculosis: Drink tea from dried walnut leaves. One or two teas. spoons of crushed raw materials are brewed like tea. It is drunk with sugar or honey several times a day.
• With arthritis, radiculitis, obesity, gout, rheumatism, arthrosis, osteochondrosis, cellulite: Dried leaves (250 grams) are poured with a liter of water, brought to a boil and boiled for 15 minutes. Strained broth should be poured into a bath with a water temperature of + 37 + 38 degrees. Such baths are recommended to be carried out in courses of 12-15 procedures, taking them daily before going to bed for 10-15 minutes.
• With atherosclerosis: Young leaves are crushed and a tablespoon of raw material is poured into 500 ml of boiling water. The mixture is infused for one hour in a thermos and filtered. You need to use the resulting broth for half a glass for a month. Take it before meals 3-4 times a day.
• With whites in women: Take 25 grams of walnut leaves and chamomile flowers, add 15 grams of sage leaves, as well as 10 grams of forest mallow flowers and oak bark. All raw materials must be dry and crushed. The collection is poured with boiling water (for 2 tablespoons of 1 liter) and infused for one hour. After straining, it is used for douching.
• With severe menopause: Walnut leaves (10 grams) are mixed with juniper fruits (25 grams). To them are added 20 grams of centaury herb, couch grass roots and prickly harrow roots. Raw materials must be dried and sufficiently well crushed. Bay collection of boiling water (per 1 tablespoon 1 glass), insist 30 minutes. The infusion should be taken in the morning and in the evening, one glass each.
• Rash: Take equal quantities of walnut leaves, wild anise and primrose roots, blackthorn flowers and violet grass. Table. pour a spoonful of collection with boiling water (250 ml), and after insisting for 30 minutes, strain. Take one glass of infusion in the morning and another glass in the evening.
• With periodontal disease: Prepare a decoction of walnut leaves, bay 5 table. spoons of dry raw materials 500 ml of water. Boil the mixture for 15 minutes and leave to brew for half an hour. Strained decoction should rinse your mouth for 1-2 weeks.

We advise you to watch the following video about the benefits of walnuts.

Walnut kernels are widely in demand in cooking. They are not only consumed fresh, but also added to various dishes:

• cakes, halva, pastries and other sweets;
• appetizers and salads;
• casseroles and main dishes;
• ice cream, cocktails and desserts;
• sauces;
• fillings for rolls and pies.

Nuts go well with dried fruits, vegetables, meat, fruits, honey, fish dishes. Healthy jam is made from unripe nuts.

The presence of many useful and medicinal properties made the walnut in demand in traditional medicine:

• The use of nuts is useful for almost everyone, but it is especially recommended for patients with anemia, with atherosclerosis and hypertension, as well as with pathologies of the intestines, gallbladder, blood vessels, liver, heart, etc.
• Thanks to the use of walnuts, you can get rid of diarrhea.
• In men, the use of nuts maintains sexual potency at a high level.
• The use of partitions is recommended for nodular goiter, and green nuts for impotence, diarrhea and giardiasis.
• Ripe walnuts are included in fees aimed at the treatment of stomach cancer.
• The high content of proteins, vitamins and other nutrients makes nuts a valuable product for beriberi, loss of strength, weakening of the body, neurological pathology and during the recovery period.
• Nuts benefit the children's body. They are recommended to be given to nursing mothers (two or three nuts a day) and to children after 2 years (one or two crushed nuts).
• The pericarp, as well as walnut leaves, have bactericidal and phytoncidal properties.
• A decoction of the leaves is recommended for patients with diabetes.
• Walnut leaves are included in collections aimed at treating coughs.
• Both leaves and kernels are used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and their prevention.

As well as:

• Ripe nuts are a source of valuable oil, rich in vitamin E and fatty acids. This oil has a tonic, anti-sclerotic, choleretic and wound-healing effect.Walnut oil is also actively used in cosmetology due to its properties to nourish, rejuvenate and tone the skin.
• Walnuts often act as the basis for the preparation of ointments and alcohol tinctures.
• Walnut roots and bark are used to prepare an ointment used for hemorrhoids. Taking equal amounts of dried bark and roots, a tablespoon of their mixture is ground into powder and mixed with a glass of olive oil. The product is kept for 30 minutes in a water bath, mixing thoroughly. Use this ointment externally until recovery.
• A decoction of walnut bark promotes healing of ulcers.
• The use of nuts in combination with honey is considered the prevention of atherosclerosis.
• Teenagers, nursing mothers, debilitated patients, as well as people who experience constant significant mental and physical stress, recommend nut milk. For its preparation, 60 grams of nut kernels are soaked in cold water. After ten hours, the water is drained, the nuts are crushed and 500 ml of milk is poured. Nuts with milk are left for 4 hours, after which they are boiled over low heat for 20 minutes. You can also immediately pour nuts with hot milk and leave for one hour.
• Dried pericarp is used for helminthic invasion. The crushed raw materials (a tablespoon) are poured with boiling water (about one glass). After insisting and straining, the infusion is taken for one week at the table. spoon several times a day.
• Nut kernel tinctures are effective for fibroids, nodular goiter, chronic diarrhea, ovarian cysts, rectal polyps, colitis and other pathologies.

• To eliminate the loss of strength: 0.5 kg of walnut kernels (crush), 0.3 kg of honey, four lemons (squeeze the juice) and fresh aloe juice (100 ml).All ingredients are mixed and taken three times a day for 3-4 weeks. Children are recommended a single dose of 1-2 teaspoons. spoons, adults - 1-2 tables. spoon. The drug is taken half an hour before meals. It also effectively improves memory and brain activity.
• To heal a cataract: Powdered nuts are folded into a cloth and oil is squeezed out of them, which is instilled into each eye for a month, one drop twice a day. Such oil also effectively cures otitis - you need to moisten a cotton swab with oil and put it in a sore ear overnight.
• To prevent a cold: Taking a glass of nuts, dried apricots and raisins, the mixture is passed through a meat grinder. Add honey to taste. It is recommended to take the resulting drug twice a year for one month - in autumn and spring. Use the mixture two tablespoons in the morning and in the evening.
• To get rid of severe cough: Crushing four mature nuts along with the shell, add a table to them. a spoonful of elderberries and pour all 500 ml of water. The mixture is brought to a boil and simmered over low heat for 40 minutes. After cooling and straining, a table is added to the broth. a spoonful of honey It should be taken in a tablespoon before meals three times a day.
• To help with bronchial asthma: Mix crushed nut kernels (500 g) with aloe juice (1/2 cup) and honey (300 g). The mixture is taken three times a day before meals in a single serving of 1 tablespoon.
• With hypertension: It is recommended to eat one hundred grams of walnut kernels daily for 45 days. You need to eat nuts before meals for one hour. At the same time, you need to take an alcohol tincture on walnut partitions.
• To prevent a stroke: Consume a mixture made from nuts, raisins and cheese daily.The ingredients are ground and taken in equal proportions. The mixture is consumed for three weeks, eating a tablespoon three times a day. By consuming 30 g of nuts, 20 g of cheese and 20 g of raisins daily for a month, you will also strengthen the heart muscle.
• With anemia: Prepare a daily salad of boiled potatoes, boiled chicken and boiled beets, to which add chopped nuts and pomegranate seeds. Dress the salad with sour cream. Eat this salad for 2-3 weeks.
• To increase hemoglobin: Chopped nuts, high-quality butter melted in a water bath and honey take one glass each. The mixture is stored in the refrigerator and consumed before meals three times a day on the table. spoon. This mixture can also be used to prevent rickets - it should be given to a child for 1 month for half a teaspoon. spoons 3 times a day. In addition, it helps to get rid of peptic ulcer.
• To eliminate sexual weakness: Eat 75 g of walnut kernels once a day for one month.
• For constipation: 100 grams of walnut kernels need to be crushed and pour a liter of milk. After boiling and straining milk with nuts, the resulting liquid should be drunk 1/3 cup 4 times a day after meals.
• For diseases of the kidneys and liver: Place 1 kg of honey in a container and bring to a liquid state in a water bath. Pour 500 g of ground walnuts into honey. Take the remedy on the table. spoon 1 month twice a day, and after a month break, repeat the intake.

You can learn more about the benefits and healing properties of walnuts from the following video.

Although nuts are noted for their high fat content and high calorie content, eating them in moderation does not lead to weight gain, but helps to achieve a slim figure as part of a healthy diet.

• In addition to its use in cooking and medicine, walnut is in demand as a dye. The plant is used to dye hair, leather, fabric and wood.
• Walnut oil is used in painting as a paint thinner.
• The plant has volatile properties, so moths, mosquitoes, flies and horseflies do not like the smell of nuts. In a garden where nuts grow, fewer tree pests are noted.

Walnut balm has a tonic effect, improves digestion, strengthens the myocardium and helps to overcome colds. To prepare it you need:

• a liter of vodka;
• 50 grams of honey, dried apricots, dried rose hips, nut kernels, prunes and raisins;
• a bottle of propolis;
• vanilla sugar, dubrovka root, lime blossom, wormwood, St. John's wort, coriander seeds, pine buds and mint (a teaspoonful);
• clove buds (6 pcs.).

Dried fruits need to be cut, and herbs - grind in a coffee grinder. All ingredients are combined and poured with vodka, after which they are sent to a warm, dark place for 2 months. Propolis is added to the strained infusion. Take this balm before meals three times a day. A single dose is a tablespoon.

We offer you to watch another simple video recipe for walnut balm.

There are quite a lot of varieties of walnuts today. Many varieties have been created for cultivation in Russia. In addition to walnut, black and Manchurian walnuts also grow in Russia. They are characterized by smaller fruits, tasteless pulp and hard skin.

• Walnuts are often mentioned in ancient manuscripts. Ovid and Theophrastus wrote about them.
• One of the legends associated with the name of the nut tells that Alexander the Great called the fruit "walnut", who healed his soldiers with it during the campaign.
• In Russia, the first nuts began to be grown in gardens at monasteries. They say that they got into the monastery gardens with the help of Greek preachers. Another story tells that the name of the nut appeared due to the fact that the fruits were brought to Russia in the second century by Greek merchants.
• There was a time when walnuts were considered by the church to be the seat of an evil spirit. This opinion appeared due to the fact that there was no other vegetation under the nuts. In fact, the inhibition of the growth of other plants is associated with the presence in the plant of the substance juglone with a bactericidal effect.