Walnuts in the News – April
Living life unbound is about more than just snacking: It’s also about trying new things and embracing the unexpected. At Unbound Snacks, we’re always exploring new ways to bring walnuts into the limelight. After all, they’re not your average nut! So each month, we go on the lookout for nutty news about walnuts and bring it to you “unshelled.”
Ugly Is the New Pretty
Hot off the press from our friends at the California Walnut Board, dark walnuts are trending in Korea. It turns out that the Korean word for “ugly” is considered a cute expression and is being used to reference agricultural items – like darker walnuts – that may look less than perfect but are still tasty and cost less. We like to see all walnuts get a fair shake.
Walnuts Touted as #1 Food for Brain Health
We knew walnuts were good for you – especially for your brain. In fact, at Unbound Snacks, we’ve always considered the walnut to be the No. 1 nutritious nut. But now it’s official! In a recent interview with neurologist Shae Datta, MD, co-director of NYU Langone’s Concussion Center, Datta singled out the walnut as the one food she would recommend over any other for brain health. Not just over other nuts, but over all foods combined! “Walnuts offer twice as many antioxidants compared to other nuts,” says Datta. She also notes that they’re even shaped like a brain. Mind blown.
Some Call It Intuition
The good news about walnuts just keeps rolling in, and we’re excited to find out that our gut feeling was spot on. Literally. It turns out that in addition to being good for your brain and heart, walnuts are now getting credit for promoting gut health and providing amino acids. Just one cup of walnuts a day increases your levels of Gordonibacter, a gut bacterium that helps the body absorb plant compounds, and the amino acid L-homoarginine, which promotes heart health. Long story short: A happy gut can improve everything from your mood to your chronic disease risk, including the risk of heart disease. Unbound Snacks are a delicious way to get your daily dose!
Chandler Saves the Day
You may have heard that the California walnut crop took a hit in 2022 because of a heat wave in some areas that literally cooked the walnuts during growth, followed by rain that caused mold. On top of that, a glut of walnuts from larger-than-expected crops in 2021 drove down the price of walnuts to less than the cost of production, which had some walnut farmers tearing out their orchards (and their hair) to make room for more profitable crops. Walnut handlers are advising growers to switch from older, darker varieties to more modern varieties, like the Chandler walnut. Well, that’s good news for us, because we already grow (you guessed it!) Chandler walnuts on our farm to create our remarkably craveable Unbound Snacks. So don’t worry! Once again, Unbound Walnuts wal-nut disappoint!
Look for more nutty news next month! In the meantime, say YES to unbelievably Unbound Snacking and stock up here.