Black Walnut

Black walnuts are celebrated for their bold, earthy flavor and impressive nutrient profile.

They have been associated with many health benefits like reduced heart disease risk and weight loss.

The antioxidant and antibacterial compounds in their outer shells, or hulls, make them useful for naturally treating parasitic and bacterial infections.
The fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants in black walnuts provide various health benefits. In addition, black walnut hulls have unique antibacterial properties and are used in herbal medicine extracts and supplements.

Black walnuts are nutritionally similar to English walnuts, which have been studied extensively for their health benefits.

May benefit heart health
Black walnuts contain various nutrients and compounds that benefit heart health, including:

Omega-3 fatty acids. May improve certain heart disease risk factors like high blood pressure and cholesterol levels (7Trusted Source).
Tannins. Help lower blood pressure and decrease blood lipid levels, potentially improving heart health (8Trusted Source).
Ellagic acid. May help prevent a narrowing of the arteries caused by plaque buildup that can lead to heart disease (9Trusted Source).
A review of 13 studies found that eating walnuts decreased total and LDL (bad) cholesterol. What’s more, studies show that eating walnuts improves blood vessel function and reduces the risk of plaque buildup, a major risk factor for heart disease (10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source).

May have anticancer properties
Black walnuts contain an antitumor compound called juglone. Test-tube studies have found this compound to significantly reduce tumor growth (12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source).

Several test-tube studies indicate that juglone can cause cell death in certain cancerous cells, including of the liver and stomach (15Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source).

In addition, black walnuts contain flavonoid antioxidants that have been shown to have beneficial effects against lung, breast, prostate, and colon cancer (18Trusted Source).

Have antibacterial properties
Black walnut hulls are high in tannins — compounds with antibacterial properties (8Trusted Source).

Tannins in black walnuts have antibacterial effects against, for example, Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli — bacteria that commonly cause foodborne illnesses (19Trusted Source).

A test-tube study found that black walnut hull extracts have antioxidant and antibacterial activities, preventing the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, a bacteria that can cause infections (20Trusted Source).

May aid weight loss
Studies show that eating nuts — particularly walnuts — may help you lose weight (21Trusted Source, 22Trusted Source).

Though walnuts are high in calories, most of these calories come from healthy fats. Fats can help increase feelings of fullness and fend off hunger (2Trusted Source, 23Trusted Source).

In fact, walnuts have been found to keep you fuller for longer, which can help you naturally eat less, potentially promoting weight loss (24Trusted Source).

In one 3-month study, people who ate 1/4 cup (30 grams) of walnuts daily experienced greater weight loss than the control group — despite the additional calories of the walnuts