Jingyang Thin-shelled Walnuts

Jingyang Thin-shelled Walnuts

　　Walnuts, also known as hu tao, are said to have been brought back by Zhang Qian during his mission to the Western Regions. They mostly grow in mountainous or hilly areas and are drought-resistant.

　　Walnuts are known as a "longevity food," sweet in flavor and warm in nature. They can nourish the lungs and kidneys, enrich yin and support yang, moisten the intestines and relieve constipation, as well as soothe coughs and calm wheezing. The *Compendium of Materia Medica* states: "It treats deficiency-cold, coughing and wheezing, and pain in the lower back and legs." The *Medical Revelations of an Orthodox Physician* refers to it as an "essential medicine for strengthening muscles and bones." The *Kaibao Materia Medica* claims that regular consumption of walnuts can "make people robust, moisturize the skin, and darken hair." When used in traditional Chinese medicine, walnut kernels can treat impotence, seminal emission, soreness and weakness in the lower back and knees, insomnia and forgetfulness, frequent urination, qi and blood deficiency, and dysmenorrhea in women.

　　Modern research shows that walnuts are rich in fats, particularly containing linoleic acid glycerides, as well as linolenic acid and oleic acid glycerides, which help reduce elevated cholesterol levels in the blood—beneficial for those with arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. Walnuts are high in phospholipids, which help maintain normal cellular metabolism, enhance cell vitality, and prevent brain cell degeneration, making them an excellent brain-boosting food. The choline in phospholipids promotes fat metabolism in liver cells, thereby reducing fatty liver severity. Feeding walnut kernels to rats has also demonstrated lipid-lowering and anti-aging effects. Walnuts contain a relatively high amount of lysine, which can raise serum albumin levels and maintain body weight, making them beneficial in treating consumptive diseases such as tumors and tuberculosis. Additionally, walnuts contain juglone, which inhibits certain transplanted tumors. In regions with high incidence of esophageal cancer, folk remedies use boiled walnut tree branches and green walnut husks to treat tumors, though their efficacy remains under observation; there are also reports of using fresh walnut branches to boil eggs for treating cervical cancer—both are folk remedies.

　　Every part of the walnut tree is valuable. Boiling walnut leaves in water for fumigation and washing can sterilize and treat tinea; boiling walnut roots in water can alleviate constipation; squeezing juice from green walnut husks and applying it externally to the skin is effective against stubborn ringworm. The woody septum between walnut kernels, known as "fēn xīn mù" (separating-heart wood), can strengthen the brain, nourish kidneys, and treat bedwetting.

　　Walnut kernels are high in oil content, so those with diarrhea or seborrheic dermatitis should consume them sparingly. Walnut kernels contain tannic acid, which can bind with iron supplements, enzyme preparations, and calcium supplements, reducing their efficacy. When eating walnut kernels, it is advisable to drink less strong tea.