Walnut/Akharota - Health benefits, ayurvedic remedies, application, chemical constituents, side effects and many more

 Walnut/Akharota

Walnut is also known as English walnut, Persian walnut, common walnut Akhrot, Aksoda, Aksota. It is widely distributed in Southern Europe, Western Asia, Central Asia, Kashmir, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, China, United State, Turkey, India, Australia, New Zealand. This plant can live over a duration of 100-200years and some species for 1000 years.

Walnut is one of the most widely distributed Plant with several medicinal properties. Walnut is a plant which has a good medicinal strength for to treat many diseases like diarrhea, stomach pain, arthritis, asthma, skin disorders, and some endocrine diseases like diabetes mellitus, thyroid dysfunctions, cancer and some other diseases. There is great importance of all the parts of walnut plant.

It shows Antiinflammatory, Diuretic, Anticancer, Laxatives, Antidiabetic, Antiatherogenic, Antimutagenic, Antifungal, Antioxidant, Antiseptic, Antibacterial, Antiallergic, Astringent, and Antiulcer properties.

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Vitamins and Minerals contents

Vitamins: A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, B12, C, E, K

Minerals : Calcium, Magnesium, Maganese, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium , Zinc 

Like many plant foods, nuts contain little sodium but are rich in potassium, magnesium and calcium. These three minerals are involved in many aspects of cellular metabolism and other biological processes, including insulin sensitivity, blood pressure regulation and vascular reactivity. 

Nuts are among the foods with the highest calcium content (walnuts contain 98 mg/100 g)

There is a great concentration of protein and oil contents in walnut. Therefore,walnut is important for human nutrition. Walnut contains phytochemicals such as alkaloids,flavonoids, cartenoids and other polyphenolic. The seed of the walnut (kernel) is eaten fresh.Walnuts are nutrient-rich food because of greater amount of fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals. There are many important potential neuroprotective compounds in walnut such as gamma tocopherol, phenolic acid, flavonoids, and the most important one is juglone. Clinical studies evoke about omega-3 PUFA that they have great contribution to treat heart disease.

According to experimental studies or researches, it was prove that the extent value for protein was 18.1%; Walnuts contains glutelins (about 70% of the total seedproteins) together with lower amounts of globulins (18%), albumins (7%) and prolamins (5%). Walnuts composed of high amount of potassium, phosphorus and magnesium and lower sodium.These elements have an important contribution for the activity of many enzymes especially as cofactor 

The green husk shell contains juglone and polyphenols which are used in textile dyeing industries. Walnut plant contains monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, juglone, sterols, tocopherols, proteins, dietary fibres, melatonin, folate.

The leaves of walnut is highly rich in alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids which exhibits antidiabetic effect. Walnut oil contains omega 3 and omega 6 polyunsaturated fatty acid, mono,di,tri acylglycerol, free fatty acids, oleic and linoleic acid which is helpful in heart disease, lowering the blood cholesterol and sugar level. The leaves of J.regia L. is highly rich in alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids which exhibits antidiabetic effect. 

Properties and Benefits

• Rasa (Taste) – Madhura (Sweet)
• Guna (Qualities) – Guru (Heavy), Snigdha (Slimy)
• Taste conversation after digestion – Madhura (Sweet)
• Veerya (Potency) – Ushna (Hot)
• Effect on Tridosha – Reduces vitiated vata dosha
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• Brumhana – nourishing, nutritious
• Cardiac
• Laxative 
• Pushtikaraka – nutrition rich
• Raktadosha – Blood impurity and vitiation disorders such as acne, bleeding diseases, skin diseases, etc 
• Balya – improves strength and immunity
• Snigdha – unctuous, oily
• Guru – heavy to digest

Uses, Remedies, Health Benefits and Application 

1) Adding Walnuts in diet can reduce the risk of heart disease by improving various cardiometabolic risk factors. Walnut-enriched diet can decrease total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (cholesterol), increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and reduce blood pressure, inflammation, and plaque formation.

2) Decoction prepared from 10-20gm walnut fruit shell cooked in 400ml water, taken twice a day, gives relief in constipation. 

3) Chewing of roasted Akharoṭa kernel gives relief in cough. To strengthen the teeth, use ash of Akharoṭ shell with small quantity of rock salt as a tooth powder and chewing of Akharoṭa bark is beneficial in treating dental disorders and other oral diseases. 

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4) Roasted walnut is consumed regularly to improve the physical strength of the body and can be used in patients suffering from general debility, weakness of the muscles. 

5) Walnuts contain nutrients that may intervene in the development of cognitive decline, in part by targeting cardiometabolic risk factors. These nutrients such as essential fatty acids, soluble fiber, vitamin E & polyphenols(e.g. ellagitannins), which in combination may produce beneficial effects on serum lipids, blood pressure, oxidative stress, and inflammation.

6) The oil extracted from Walnuts has various health benefits and it is largely used in the cosmetic industry. 

7) The leaves of walnut tree are used for treatment of scalp irritation and hair problems, skin damages due to excessive exposure to sunlight or other skin problems and infections. 

8) It prevents acne, helps manage dry skin and prevent wrinkles, giving the skin a youthful glow.

9) Regularly in the morning, take 10gm Akharoṭa kernel and 10gm raisin (Drākṣā). It provides physical and mental strength and also keeps the stomach fit in good condition.

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10) The powder of the bark of the walnut tree is mixed with ghee or butter and applied over area affected with herpes and burning sensation. 

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11) Application of 10gm Akharoṭa kernel paste mixed with melted beeswax or oil and washing of wound with Akharoṭa bark decoction helps to heal the wound quickly. 

12) Walnut oil helps to reduce wrinkles and increases moisture content in the skin.

13) Decoction of the leaf is given in a dose of 30-40 ml to treat skin diseases like scabies, ringworm etc. 

14) The properties of Akshotaka are similar to those of badama. But Akshotaka is more potent aphrodiasic. The Akshotaka oil has similar properties to those of castor oil. It is gentle in laxative action than castor oil and does not cause weakness. Its oil in large dose, eliminates tape worm. Those who experience giddiness, light headedness or vertigo like symptoms, should consume 3-4 fruits daily. It also improves the health of the hair. The roasted fruits serve to relieve the dry cough.

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15) The walnut leaves are used as a medicine for the reduction of pain in joints and are also used for the lowering of fever.

16) Akharoṭa root and bark used as anti-helmentic, astringent and detergent. Its bark powder used as a tooth cleaner and whitener. Decoction prepared from its bark and root is used along with alum for staining wool brown.

17) As the leaves have astringent property, along with them the skin of plant is salutary for cleansing the teeth and to strengthen the gums and arrest the bleeding from them. Many preparations of tooth powders contain it as one of the ingredient.

18) Walnut is used for the treatment ofdermal inflammation and too much sweating of the hands and feet.

19) Walnuts contain a number of potentially neuroprotective compounds like vitamin E, folate, melatonin, several antioxidative polyphenols and significant amounts of ω-3 fatty acids. 

20) The paste of walnut tree bark is good to treat tooth pain, skin infections & hair problems.

 

21) Prepare powder from equal quantity of Akharoṭa bark, winged prickly ash (Tumbarū) bark, bullet wood (Vakula)bark and musk mallow (Latākastūrī) seed. Apply it externally on gums and keep for 10-15min, followed by gargle with lukewarm water. 

22) Application of 10-20gm fresh Akharoṭa kernel paste over the painful region, covered with a cloth, followed by fomentation reduces pain immediately. Regular intake of its kernel is useful in treating arthritis.

23) Regular intake of 25-50gm Akharoṭa kernel is useful in enhancing the intellect. Walnut can also control high blood pressure in patients and reduce depression.

24) Akshotaka bark decoction is given in a dose of 30-40 ml to treat intestinal worms. 

25) 2-3gm Akharoṭa fruit shell ash taken along with buttermilk, in the morning and with water in the evening acts as a hemostyptic in case of bleeding piles. 

26) Enema of Akharoṭa fruit oil and intake of 20-40ml decoction of Akharoṭa bark or leaves helps in expulsion of abdominal and intestinal worms.

27) Application of 10-20gm Akharoṭa kernel pounded with sour gruel is useful to treat swelling associated with Vāta. 

28) Massage of Akharoṭa oil is useful in alleviating shivering and cramps that occurs due to cholera.

29) Akharoṭa acts as a brain tonic, stomachic; is oleation causing, carminative, expectorant, tonic, aphrodisiac and stoutening. Its paste enhances complexion.

30) To treat wounds, the paste of the bark of walnut tree is applied over the fresh wound.

 

31) Decoction prepared from the bark of the walnut tree is used for gargling to treat gingivitis and dental caries. 

32) The bark is used as miswaks for teeth cleaning.

33) Walnut is used in many cuisines all over the world and acts as flavoring and nutritional source in the dish.

 

Side effect

• Poorly stored walnuts leads to fungal molds in them can cause carcinogenic effect.  
• Polyphenols in Walnut hulls could stain hands and can cause skin irritation.

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Research

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