BLACK WALNUTS CONTAIN HEART-HEALTHY NUTRIENTS.

• Position: YOUR LIFE - Brief article

Black walnuts are a major industry in the Midwest, with about 23,000,000 pounds processed annually in Missouri alone, and they are a ubiquitous presence on lawns in early fall, but while many tree nuts, such as English walnuts, have received attention for their nutritional benefits, comparatively little research has focused on the black variety.

In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers at the University of Missouri, Columbia, have confirmed that black walnuts contain molecular compounds called phytosterols, which have been shown to help prevent obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease while promoting lower cholesterol and inflammation as well as anticancer activity in the body. Phytosterols have been found in English walnuts, but researchers discovered black walnuts are a richer source of the health-promoting molecule.

"The black walnut is already an important crop in the Midwest, but we are beginning to see it still has enormous potential," says Chung Ho-Lin, associate research professor of forestry in the School of Natural Resources and Center for Agroforestry. "The health benefits of...