Calorie content and composition of the product. What are the unique beneficial properties of walnut oil. Does he have any contraindications? Dishes with nut butter are the most delicious and original recipes. It is important to note that the healing properties of oil were respected not only by ancient healers. More recently, researchers from the University of California have proven that the product is effective in the treatment of a whole range of diseases, including atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, and diabetes.
Contraindications and harm of walnut oil
The uniqueness of the product lies not only in its great benefits, but also in the fact that it has almost no contraindications. Of course, when it comes to vulnerable populations, there is a fine line between the benefits and harms of walnut oil.
For some people, it is recommended that the product be introduced into the diet with caution or consumed in strictly regulated doses for the purpose of a therapeutic effect, however, there are practically no strict prohibitions.
Particular care must be taken in the presence of any serious diseases of the digestive tract: in this situation, the introduction of any new product into the diet is impossible without prior consultation with the attending physician. Consultation will not hurt in the presence of other serious ailments not related to the gastrointestinal tract.
Another important point is pregnancy. We wrote above that it is generally recommended for expectant mothers to take this oil, however, it should be introduced into the diet with caution, since the reaction of the fetus can be unpredictable. The same recommendations apply to nursing women, because any product that the mother eats is transmitted in small quantities to the baby, and his unformed immune system can give a negative response.
Finally, it is worth mentioning the potential dangers of walnut oil for allergy sufferers. In general, it is considered a hypoallergenic product, but exceptions do happen. So if individual intolerance to the components of certain products is a common practice for you, be careful.
Important! Do not forget that walnut oil is a very fatty and high-calorie product, and therefore even the healthiest person should not abuse it.
Features of the production of walnut oil
As we said above, the product is made by cold pressing - this method makes it possible to preserve the healing properties as much as possible. The essence of the technology is very simple. We suggest you spend a little experience at home on the preparation of walnut oil. Put the nucleolus in a tablespoon and press down hard with a teaspoon on top - you will see that a couple of drops of liquid will come out of it. This is walnut oil! But, of course, there is no need to talk about obtaining it at home in this way - there is a lot of effort, and the result is practically zero. Of course, special wringing machines are used in production. A really good oil is obtained in wood oil presses. In this case, contact with the metal is excluded, which oxidizes the product and reduces its useful properties. In addition, in such units, the parts practically do not heat up even after long continuous operation, which means that the heating of the oil, in which valuable components are lost, is also excluded.
However, in large industries, wooden presses are not used, usually a hydraulic press, but metal, which means that there is contact with the metal, but there is practically no heating. But this is by no means the worst case. Some literature defines cold pressing as "the process of obtaining vegetable oil from oil plants through cold extraction." This very extraction is carried out on special equipment using extraction gasolines and other high-octane compounds. Doesn't sound like much, right? It is, but, unfortunately, thanks to this definition, manufacturers can use this process to make oil and call it cold pressing. Needless to say, there is little benefit in oil produced in this way?
Unfortunately, large enterprises usually work using the extraction technology, and therefore it is better to buy a product from small producers.
Walnut Oil Recipes
For centuries, walnut oil has been widely used in cooking. It is especially loved in eastern countries and in the Balkans - in this region, perhaps only olive is more popular. The cuisine of the Caucasus cannot be imagined without nutty aromatic oil, but in Russia, unfortunately, it has not yet found wide application.
However, now that you know how useful the product is, it's time to introduce it into your diet. They can be used to dress salads in their pure form or as part of an interesting sauce based on it - this is an excellent opportunity not only to make the dish healthier, but also to add new original flavor notes to the already familiar recipe. The butter makes a good marinade for meat kebabs, it also "sounds" great in baked goods and cereals. Well, and of course, no one forbids you to just fry on it. However, you need to understand that during heat treatment, a larger amount of nutrients will leave it irrevocably.
Let's take a look at several options for using walnut oil in recipes:
- Fennel salad … Chop the fennel root (400 grams) into thin slices and save the herbs for garnish. Chop the apple finely (1 piece). Remove the peel from the oranges (2 pieces), remove the white pulp and cut into thin slices - at this stage, you cannot do without a sharp knife. Prepare the dressing: mix olive oil and walnuts (2 tablespoons each), add the juice that came out of the orange when cutting. Combine the prepared ingredients, pour over the dressing, garnish with herbs and flax seeds (1 teaspoon) and eat right away.
- Warm salad with walnut oil … Cut the chicken fillet (100 grams) into thin strips and fry in a small amount of oil in a skillet. When the meat is cooked through, add a little butter, chopped mushrooms (200 grams) and chopped coarse walnuts (100 grams). Cook everything together for 7-10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the pear (1 piece) into thin slices and prepare the dressing: mix olive and walnut oil (2 tablespoons each) with red wine vinegar (1-2 tablespoons) and honey (1 teaspoon), whisk a little. Season the ingredients with salt and pepper when cooked. Spread lettuce (60 grams) and arugula (30 grams) on portioned plates, then pear slices, and top with mushrooms with nuts and chicken fillet, pour with dressing.
- Oatmeal with nuts and dates … Boil oatmeal (50 grams) in salted water. Place chopped walnut kernels (20 grams), chopped dates (6-8) and pine nuts (20 grams) in a serving bowl. Transfer the boiled oatmeal to a plate, pour with walnut oil (2 tablespoons). Sprinkle cinnamon on the dish - you can add honey if you like, but dates will give you a nice sweetness anyway.
- Apple muffins with nuts … Peel the apples, cut into cubes, mix with sugar (2 tablespoons) and rum (2 tablespoons), set aside to infuse. Meanwhile, sift flour (200 grams), add baking powder (2 teaspoons), cinnamon (1 teaspoon), ginger (1/4 teaspoon), a pinch of salt. Beat eggs (2 pieces) separately with sugar (150 grams) and butter (120 ml). Gradually add the mixture to the prepared flour, then add the soaked apples and chopped walnuts (100 grams). Transfer the dough to muffin tins and bake at 180 degrees for 40-50 minutes.
Having mastered these simple recipes and having a good understanding of the taste of the product, you can easily independently come up with your own original ways of using walnut oil in cooking.
Interesting facts about walnut oil
The use of walnut oil is not limited to medicine and cooking. It is irreplaceable in the cosmetics industry. The product helps to make the skin, hair and nails healthy and beautiful. They also find use for it in other interesting areas - for example, in the manufacture of printing inks and soap making.
The product can be used as a stand-alone face cream: it is better to apply it at night, and it is suitable for all skin types. Also, this oil works well as a "cream" against sunburn, of course, it will not surpass coconut oil, but it also will not allow you to burn.
In ancient Egypt, the product was used to embalm mummies. And in regions where walnut trees grew especially actively, oil was used to refuel lamps that illuminate the dwelling.
In the Middle Ages, the French considered walnut oil sacred, but this did not stop artists from using it as a link to create different paint pigments. Chemical analysis revealed that the painting of paintings by Monet, Picasso and Cezanne could not have done without its use. Watch a video about walnut oil:
Walnut oil is a truly unique product. Despite the high calorie content, it will not be superfluous in the diet and will help cure and / or prevent the development of many diseases. Remarkable is the fact that walnut oil has practically no contraindications. So be sure to include it in your diet, only when purchasing a product, choose the manufacturer carefully.
