The Sourdough School

BALM – Proven as one of the healthiest approaches to bread in the world.

Based in the walled gardens of Dr. Vanessa Kimbell's beautiful Victorian home in rural Northamptonshire, UK, we tutor individuals and train bakers and healthcare professionals in Baking as Lifestyle Medicine (BALM). Personalising bread to your lifestyle, gut microbiome, and unique genetics for optimal health—tailoring fermentation, fibre, and diversity so that your daily bread becomes the foundation of your health.

+44(0)7813308301
[email protected]
Follow on Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Student Login

Schedule a Call to Learn More

Navigation
  • Home
    • About The Sourdough School
    • Contact Us & FAQ
    • Request a Callback
    • Practical Information
    • The Team
    • A Social Enterprise
    • General FAQ’s about The School
    • Contributors & Guest Tutors
    • What Our Students Say
    • Login
  • Courses
    • Priority Access: Join the Waiting List
    • Workshops
    • Bake For Health Retreat
    • Tuscan Retreat
    • Diploma
  • Assessments
    • Bread & Health Assessment
    • Gut Health Assessment
    • Nutrigenomic Assessment
  • Our Approach
    • Baking as Lifestyle Medicine (BALM)
    • 12 Week Student Support Pack
    • Bread as Preventative Health
    • Personalising Bread Using Nutrigenetics
    • Training Bakers & Healthcare Professionals
    • Diversity Bread™
    • Prove it – The Case Studies
    • BALM & Bread in The Blue Zone
    • Proven: Bread Podcast
  • Admissions
    • Request a callback
    • Location, Opening Hours & Course Days & Times
    • Reviews
  • Shop
    • Our Flour and Ingredients
    • Our Books
    • Equipment
    • Flours From Farmers Directory
    • Add Farmer to the Directory

124 - ‘Nuts, especially walnuts, have both antioxidant quantity and efficacy and exhibit significant potential health benefits’. Food Function. 3, 134

Reference Number: 124

Year: 2011

Authors: Joe A. Vinson and Yuxing Cai

Link: Link to original paper

Inclusions: Nuts

Summary

Summary

Free and total (after basic hydrolysis) polyphenols in nine types of raw and roasted nuts and two types of peanut butter (54 commercial samples) were analyzed after methanol extraction by a single step Folin-Ciocalteu reagent using catechin as standard. Walnuts had the highest free and total polyphenols in both the combined raw and roasted samples. Total polyphenols in the nuts were significantly higher than free polyphenols. Roasting had little effect on either free or total polyphenols in nuts. Raw and roasted walnuts had the highest total polyphenols. The efficacy of raw and roasted nut antioxidants was assessed by measuring the ability of the free polyphenol nut extracts to inhibit the oxidation of lower density lipoproteins (LDL + VLDL). A nut polyphenol, catechin, was measured after binding of three nut extracts to lower density lipoproteins. Walnut polyphenols had the best efficacy among the nuts and also the highest lipoprotein-bound antioxidant activity. Based on USDA availability data, the per capita total polyphenols was 162 mg from nuts per day in 2008. This corresponds to 19% of the total polyphenols from fruits and vegetables, nuts, grains, oils and spices in the US diet. Nuts provided 158 mg of polyphenols per day to the European Union diet. Nuts are high in polyphenol antioxidants which by binding to lipoproteins would inhibit oxidative processes that lead to atherosclerosis in vivo. In human supplementation studies nuts have been shown to improve the lipid profile, increase endothelial function and reduce inflammation, all without causing weight gain. These qualities make nuts a nutritious healthy snack and food additive.

 

SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS STUDY

The current study states that nuts provide a significant amount of polyphenols equating to around 162mg/day. Nuts are high in fibre, low in saturated fats, high in beneficial unsaturated fats and very high in antioxidants providing ample health benefits when consumed. The study showed that amongst some nuts studied such as almonds and peanuts, walnuts had higher antioxidants compared to others. Therefore, if you’re looking to boost the antioxidant levels of your loaves, why not add in a handful of walnuts.

 

Take a look at our courses at The Sourdough School

All reasonable care is taken when advising about health aspects of bread, but the information that we share is not intended to take the place of treatment by a qualified medical practitioner. You must seek professional advice if you are in any doubt about any medical condition. Any application of the ideas and information contained on this website is at the reader's sole discretion and risk.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Email Sign Up

BANT Member
Lifecode GX

Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2025 Vanessa Kimbell
Call +44 (0)7813308301 | Email [email protected]
Registered in England & Wales: 08412236
Website by Callia Web