The California Walnut Commission announced the “Power of 3” global promotional campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of Omega-3 and to highlight what an outstanding source of plant-based Omega-3 ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) walnuts are. Walnut is a versatile food that is easily available and can be used in meals and snacks. It also makes it possible to meet the recommended daily requirement of plant-based omega-3 ALA for humans (1.6 g per day for men and 1.1 g per day for women) in a delicious form.
On the other hand, Omega-3 deficiency is a common problem in Turkey as well as all over the world. Considering the busy life in cities and nutrition programs consisting of processed foods, it can be said that there is a deficiency in our Omega-3 consumption.
Walnuts are the only tree nut that contains significant amounts of plant-based Omega-3 ALA (2.5g/oz), which studies have shown to play a role in heart health, brain health and healthy aging.2,3,4 EPA and DHA, which are commonly found in marine sources such as fish and algae and three forms of Omega-3, including ALA, an essential plant-based fatty acid that can be found in food sources such as walnuts, flax and chia seeds. Research continues to uncover the unique benefits of ALA, unlike the more widely known benefits of marine sources.
The campaign makes it easy for people around the world to add a handful of walnuts to their daily meals and snacks. Throughout March, the global campaign will run across multiple continents simultaneously and will include retail promotions, advertisements, recipes, videos and more – so consumers can easily experience multicultural dining at home.
"We've had incredible success with the Power of 3 campaign over the past two years, and we're excited to launch it in 2022," said Pam Graviet, International Marketing Director of the California Walnut Commission. Graviet continued: “As more people adopt plant-based eating habits, it's been a great way to share how walnuts can help individuals achieve their personal goals. It's always exciting to see how walnut lovers share their personal experiences.”
The Science Behind Plant-Based Omega-3 ALA:
ALA and Heart Health
A study in Advances in Nutrition found that ALA can help improve heart health, just as we have seen in studies focusing on EPA and DHA. provided evidence demonstrating a potentially beneficial role in the conservation of According to a clinical study published in The Journal of Nutrition, a diet rich in omega-3 ALA from foods like walnuts may help reduce the risk of heart disease through anti-inflammatory effects.5 Given the current promising data.
ALA and Brain Health
A review study by Progress in Lipid Research evaluated tissue levels of omega-3 DHA generated from ALA.6 They reported several important findings. The first was that ALA in some cases leads to the synthesis of EPA and may contribute specifically to DHA levels in the brain. Evidence from various studies suggests that dietary ALA can meet the human body's requirement for DHA when higher levels of ALA (at least 1.2 g) are consumed. Evaluation of EPA and DHA synthesis from ALA in humans is limited to blood level measurements. The conclusion that can be drawn from this study is that ALA may play a role in maintaining DHA levels in important tissues such as the brain during the transformation process. However, more research is needed to fully understand the effect of this process in the body.
ALA and Healthy Aging
A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2020) looked at the regular consumption of foods rich in marine or plant-based omega-3s and the risk of death in people who have had a heart attack. 7 Additionally, research from one of the largest clinical trials examining the benefits of the Mediterranean diet found that elderly Hispanic individuals (55-80 years old) with a high cardiac risk and diets that favored a high consumption of fish with dietary ALA had a reduced risk of all-cause mortality. 8 Specifically, study participants who consumed at least 0.7% of their daily caloric intake from ALA had a 28% lower risk of all-cause death.
1 Nutritional reference intakes for energy, carbohydrates, fiber, fat, fatty acids, cholesterol, protein and amino acids (Macronutrients) (2005) NAS. IOM. Food and Nutrition Board.
2Supporting but inconclusive research shows that eating 1.5 ounces of walnuts a day and not getting extra calories as part of a low saturated fat and low cholesterol diet may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. (FDA) One ounce of walnuts contains 18 g total fat, 2.5 g monounsaturated fat, 13 g polyunsaturated fat, 2.5 g alpha-linolenic acid - plant-based omega-3.
3 Fleming JA, Kris-Etherton PM. Evidence for α-linolenic acid and cardiovascular disease benefits: comparisons of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. Advances in Nutrition 2014;5(6):863S-76S. doi: 10.3945/an.114.005850.
4Sala-Vila A, Valls-Pedret C, Rajaram S, Coll-Padrós N, Cofán M, Serra-Mir M, Pérez-Heras AM Roth I1, Freitas-Simoes TM1, Doménech M1, Calvo C, López-Illamola A, Bitok E, Buxton NK, Huey L, Arechiga A, Oda K, Lee GJ, Corella D, Vaqué-Alcázar L, Sala-Llonch R, Bartrés-Faz D, Sabaté J, Ros E. Effect of a 2-year diet intervention with walnuts on cognitive decline (The effect of a 2-year dietary intervention with walnuts on cognitive decline.) The Walnuts And Healthy Aging (WAHA) study: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nut.2020;111(3): 590–600, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqz328
5Zhao G, Etherton TD, Martin KR, West SG, Gillies PJ, Kris-Etherton PM. Nutritional alpha-linolenic acid reduces hypercholesterolemic inflammatory and lipid cardiovascular risk factors in men and women. J Nutr. (Journal of Nutrition) 2004; 134:2991-7. doi: 10.1093/jn/134.11.2991
6Barceló-Coblijn G, Murphy EJ. Alpha-linolenic acid and its conversion to longer chain n3 fatty acids: human health benefits, role in maintaining n-3 fatty tissue acid levels. Prog Lipid Res. 2009;48(6):355-74. doi: 10.1016 / j.plipres.2009.07.002.
7Lázaro I, Rueda F, Cediel G et al. Circulating Omega-3 Fatty Acids and adverse effects in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. October 2020, 76 (18) 2089–2097. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2020.08.073
8 Sala-Vila A, Guasch-Ferré M, Hu FB et al. Mortality in a population with dietary α-linolenic acid, marine ω-3 fatty acids and high fish consumption: findings from the PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea (PREDIMED) study. Journal of the American Heart Association. 2016;5(1):e002543. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.
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