Freshly cracked walnut kernels

Freshly cracked walnut kernels

　　Walnuts, also known as Persian walnuts, can be found almost everywhere in the world, mainly distributed across the Americas, Europe, and many parts of Asia. In terms of production, aside from the United States, China ranks the highest. Internationally, walnuts are known as "strength food," "nutrient-rich," and "brain-boosting fruit"; domestically, they are honored as the "longevity seed," "fruit of longevity," and "treasure for nourishing life." Their outstanding brain-boosting effects and rich nutritional value have been increasingly recognized and praised by more and more people.

Walnuts have high medicinal value and are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. According to traditional Chinese medicine, walnuts are warm in nature, sweet in taste, and non-toxic, with benefits such as strengthening the stomach, enriching the blood, moistening the lungs, and nourishing the spirit. The "Shennong Bencao Jing" (The Divine Farmer's Materia Medica) classifies walnuts as a top-grade tonic that helps lighten the body, boost qi, and prolong life when consumed regularly. Meng Shen of the Tang Dynasty wrote in his "Shiliao Bencao" (Dietary Materia Medica) that eating walnut kernels can stimulate the appetite, improve blood circulation, and make muscles and bones more delicate. Liu Han of the Song Dynasty and others noted in the "Kaibao Bencao" (Kaibao Materia Medica) that walnut kernels "make one robust and healthy, moisturize the skin, darken hair, and promote urination while helping eliminate hemorrhoids." Li Shizhen of the Ming Dynasty recorded in the "Compendium of Materia Medica":

Walnut kernels have the effects of "tonifying qi and nourishing blood, moisturizing dryness and resolving phlegm, benefiting the Mingmen (vital gate), regulating the three burners, warming the lungs and moisturizing the intestines, treating deficiency-cold wheezing cough, lumbar and leg heaviness, abdominal hernia pain, bloody dysentery, and intestinal wind." Modern medical research suggests that the phospholipids in walnuts have a positive effect on brain nerves. Walnut oil contains unsaturated fatty acids, which help prevent arteriosclerosis.

Walnut kernels are rich in essential trace elements such as zinc, manganese, and chromium. The levels of zinc and manganese in the human body gradually decline with aging, while chromium helps promote glucose utilization, cholesterol metabolism, and protects cardiovascular health. The cough-suppressing and asthma-relieving effects of walnut kernels are also very pronounced, making them highly effective for patients with chronic bronchitis and asthma, especially in winter. It is clear that regular consumption of walnuts not only strengthens the body but also combats aging. Some people often take tonics, but actually, eating just a few walnuts every morning and evening can be greatly beneficial—often even better than taking supplements. Walnuts are an excellent food for dietary therapy.

Whether used medicinally, eaten raw, boiled in water, coated in sugar, or cooked in dishes, walnuts offer great benefits such as enriching blood and qi, nourishing kidney essence, relieving cough and asthma, moisturizing dryness, and improving bowel movements. There are many ways to consume walnuts—for example, boiling walnuts in a proper amount of salted water, then drinking the water and eating the residue can treat kidney-deficiency-related back pain, nocturnal emission, impotence, forgetfulness, tinnitus, and frequent urination. Cooking walnuts together with coix seed, chestnuts, and other ingredients into congee can help with frequent urination, nocturnal emission, loose stools, and early-morning diarrhea. Making sugar-coated treats with walnuts, sesame, and lotus seeds can nourish the heart and brain and also treat night sweats. Eating raw walnuts along with longan flesh and hawthorn can improve heart function. Walnuts are also widely used in the treatment of neurasthenia, hypertension, coronary heart disease, emphysema, and stomach pain.