SINGAPORE - Singaporeans are discovering the goodness of walnuts.
Local suppliers are reporting a
surge in demand for this gnarled kernel, as its health benefits become more
well-known.
Walnuts, which contain protein,
unsaturated fat, omega-3 fatty acids, plenty of fibre and antioxidants, can be
good for heart health when eaten as part of a healthy diet.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
may be a believer too. When The Straits Times photographed him in his Istana
office recently, a can of shelled walnuts was sitting on his table, within easy
reach. Four suppliers contacted by Mind Your Body said sales of walnuts have
increased.
Over the last six months, the
sales of walnuts have tripled at Tai Sun Food Industries over the same period
last year, said its marketing manager, Ms Esther Loo.
The company sells baked walnuts
from the United States under its Nature's Wonders brand.
Ms Loo noted: "Customers are
becoming increasingly aware and discerning. They even come to us requesting
specifically for US walnuts because they heard that these walnuts have better
taste and quality."
Tong Garden is looking into
introducing plain baked walnuts to its product range next year. This is in
response to the healthy demand for the honey roasted walnuts mixed with cashews
it now sells, said a spokesman.
Sales of this mix have risen by
about 20 per cent over the last two years.
The companies attributed the
spike to a growing market for healthy food products and more research on the
health benefits of walnuts.
Seng Hua Hng Foodstuff, which
manufactures the Camel Nuts brand, said sales of its baked and raw walnuts have
gone up by 39 per cent this year, after articles on the cancer-fighting
properties of walnuts were published last year.
But overall, walnuts still
account for less than 1per cent of its total sales. Cashews, pistachios and
almonds are among its bestsellers.
For organic food wholesaler and
retailer Nature's Glory, however, walnuts are one of the top sellers among its
nut and seed products - and the demand for them is growing.
The spike in demand is probably
due to recent research on omega-3 fatty acids in walnuts, said its research and
development manager, MrChristopher Lim.
Dietitians and nutritionists said
walnuts are chock-full of nutrients.
A study by the University of
Scranton in Pennsylvania in the US last year showed that a handful of walnuts
contains twice as much antioxidants as that in a handful of other nuts such as
almonds and pecans.
Antioxidants help to protect
cells from damage by harmful substances which could cause cancer or heart
disease.
Walnuts are also one of the few
plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids, said Singapore Nutrition and Dietetics
Association spokesman Kalpana Bhaskaran.
This nutrient, more commonly
found in fatty fish such as salmon and tuna, reduces inflammation and helps
fight chronic heart disease, said MsBhaskaran, who is also the section head of
nutrition research at Temasek Polytechnic.
Other plant sources of omega-3
include flax and chia seeds.
Omega-3 is also known as
"brain food" as it is thought to boost memory and brain health, added
Ms Sheeba Majmudar, a nutritionist at Verita Advanced Wellness, which offers
fitness and nutrition advice to its clients.
"Funnily enough, it looks
like a brain too!" she quipped.
Eating about 40g of walnuts - or
about 12 of them - a day could lower total and bad cholesterol levels without
affecting that of good cholesterol, noted Ms Bhaskaran, citing a recent
analysis of 13 studies conducted on the topic.
"Good" cholesterol, or
high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, prevents "bad" or low-density
lipoprotein cholesterol from being deposited on artery walls. This helps to
reduce the risk of heart disease.
Polyunsaturated fat, which
walnuts are high in, improve the effects of good cholesterol. Saturated fat and
trans fat, on the other hand, raise bad cholesterol levels.
Walnuts have very low amounts of
saturated fat and have no trans fat, thought to be the unhealthiest form of
fat, said Ms Bhaskaran.
Taken as part of a low-fat,
plant-based diet, walnuts can help prevent arteries from hardening, she added.
Nuts in general are high in
unsaturated fat, which helps reduce the risk of heart disease, the Health
Promotion Board (HPB) said.
Nuts are also good sources of
protein and dietary fibre, it noted.
But it cautioned against eating
too many nuts, as they are high in calories. People should also eat a variety
of nuts to reap the most benefits.
The HPB recommends eating a small
handful, or about 40g, of all kinds of nuts a few times a week, while Ms
Bhaskaran said eating about 30g of nuts five times a week should result in good
health benefits.
Nuts are also best eaten raw and
unsalted. Processes such as baking, heating and roasting destroy its beneficial
properties, said MsMajmudar.
Financial analyst Elise Tan, 26,
said walnuts are her favourite snack.
She has been snacking regularly
on roasted walnuts since she read about their health benefits about three years
ago. She said she likes them because they are tasty and contain many nutrients.
Andrea Ong
The Straits Times
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