Though walnuts have long been believed to contain many crucial nutrients, recent studies have discovered just how beneficial they are for people over 65. A small daily serving of walnuts can provide many healthy advantages for your senior loved one, including those listed below.
1. Promote Heart Health
By eating walnuts, your loved one receives vitamin E, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, potassium, and many more healthy nutrients, all of which play an important role in the heart’s ability to function normally. Calcium, potassium, and magnesium can regulate your loved one’s blood pressure levels, and vitamin E can prevent plaque from building up in his or her arteries. All of these nutrients also work to reduce cholesterol and prevent heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular disease.
Managing all the aspects of a senior’s health, including diet, can be challenging. If you’re the primary family caregiver for an elderly loved one and need additional assistance providing high-quality at-home care, Senior Stride Home Care can help. We are a leading home care agency committed to changing the way seniors age.
2. Strengthen Bones
Eating walnuts can reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis. The magnesium found in walnuts can help seniors maintain bone strength, slowing down bone loss. If your loved one doesn’t consume enough calcium, he or she could lose bone mass and develop protein deficiencies. However, the calcium in walnuts, in addition to potassium, fights against osteoporosis and boosts bone health.
3. Prevent Cancer
The antioxidants found in walnuts fight cancerous cells until they die or dissolve, and they can be especially effective at protecting against breast and prostate cancer. Walnuts contain cancer-fighting properties that can slow the growth of prostate tumors by 30 to 40 percent. By eating at least 2 ounces of walnuts each day, seniors can also reduce the growth of breast tumors by almost 50 percent.
If you’re the primary family caregiver for a senior loved one living in Oshkosh, live-in care is available if your loved one’s health has become too difficult to manage without professional expertise. At Senior Stride Home Care, we take measures to help seniors prevent illness and injury by assisting with exercise and mobility, preparing nutritious meals, helping with bathing and other personal hygiene tasks, and much more.
4. Slow the Aging Process
The antioxidants in walnuts also combat free radicals. Walnuts are one of the few common foods that contain powerful antioxidants such as the flavonol called morin, which controls how fast a person ages. Free radicals can destroy your loved one’s tissues and organs, but antioxidants can fight these free radicals and reduce wrinkles and other damage to the skin.
5. Manage Diabetes
As a person ages, gains more weight, and becomes less active, the risk of developing diabetes increases. However, eating walnuts can help seniors with diabetes control the disease. Adding walnuts to your loved one’s diet can boost his or her endothelial function, which causes the blood vessels to dilate properly. Walnuts eaten in moderation won’t make your loved one gain weight. Instead, they can reduce the problems associated with metabolic syndrome, a condition that can cause diabetes.
Eating nutritious foods can help aging adults stave off a number of health issues. Seniors who want to remain healthy as they age can benefit in a variety of ways when they receive professional home care service. Oshkosh, WI, Senior Stride Home Care is here to help your loved one accomplish daily tasks, prevent illness, and focus on living a healthier and more fulfilling life. Call one of our Care Managers at 920-717-1767 to learn about our customized in-home care plans.