Past research has confirmed the power of walnuts in reducing
blood pressure and improving
brain health. Now, a new study has found walnuts to be helpful in protection against ulcerative colitis or, more simply, ulcers in your colon.
The study was conducted by a team of researchers from University of Connecticut and Texas A&M University led by Dr Daniel Rosenberg, professor of medicine, and Dr Masako Nakanishi from the Centre for Molecular Oncology. The findings have been published in the journal Nutrients. Ulcerative colitis is a form of inflammatory bowel disease where the colon or rectum becomes irritated and develops small sores called ulcers. These ulcers cause contents to move along rapidly, resulting in frequent bowel movements, as well as rectal bleeding and discharge of pus or mucus. This disease is chronic; so, generally, treatment focuses on reducing inflammation to prevent flare-ups, typically, by anti-inflammatory medications.
This new research was conducted with the aim to study beneficial compounds such as walnuts as a potential measure of protection against ulcerative colitis.
For the study, groups of mice were give ground whole walnuts in varying quantities, depending on their body mass ranging from 0g walnuts/kg of body mass to 14g walnuts /kg of body mass, for a period of two weeks. The researchers induced colonic mucosal injury, a symptom of ulcerative colitis, five days after the end of the diet in the same group of mice by administering an ulcerogenic (ulcer inducing) agent called dextran sodium sulphate (DSS). The mice were later examined after either two or ten days following DSS withdrawal.
The gathered data was analysed to reveal that the group of mice which ingested walnuts at 14g/kg of body mass daily for two weeks exhibited significantly less severe ulceration at the 10-day examination period. The researchers believe that ingestion of walnuts essentially pre-conditioned the colon. Although it could not be determined with certainty whether the pre-conditioned colon was resisting the initial ulcerogenic damage or facilitating the repair of the damage, the extent of injury in the walnut-treated mice was far less than in the non-treated mice.
The research team also studied changes in metabolites in the faecal stream and tissue after two weeks of being fed walnuts and observed a number of alterations. This additional discovery, connected by Dr Cory Klemashevich, assistant research scientist at Texas A&M University, showed some changes in metabolites which could be crucial in further understanding of how walnuts may be metabolised and working in the colon.
“We are continuing our work to understand whether those metabolic changes are a part of the protection,” said Dr Rosenberg. “We are not suggesting that people with ulcerative colitis be maintained on a large walnut diet between active flares. But, we are hoping that we’ll be able to determine the active compounds—nutrients, photo-chemicals—in walnuts that cause protection.”
This study is preliminary and more research is being done to better understand the working of walnuts within human bodies. At the moment, Dr Rosenberg’s lab is running a clinical trial, by one of his graduate students, wherein participants are consuming two ounces of walnuts daily for three weeks before a scheduled colonoscopy. The team will then analyse their metabolites and gut microbiota and also assess their bio-markers.
