More Deez

My imaginary readers can't get enough of that adorable squirrel:


He's gone crazy over walnuts, even more fearless. I like having someone (is this a case of prosopopoeia?) around who truly appreciates how amazing the walnut is.
If you will indulge me,

Health benefits of walnuts

Juglans regia walnuts.

A new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that eating walnuts after a meal high in unhealthy fats can reduce the damaging effects of such fats on blood vessels. Researchers from Barcelona's Hospital Clinic conducted a study on 24 adult participants, half of whom had normal cholesterol levels, and half of whom had moderately high levels of cholesterol. Each group was fed two high-fat meals of salami and cheese, eaten one week apart. During one meal, the researchers supplemented the food with five teaspoons of olive oil. The researcher added eight shelled walnuts to the other meal, the following week.

Tests after each meal showed that both the olive oil and the walnuts helped reduce the onset of dangerous inflammation and oxidation in the arteries after the meals, which were high in saturated fat. However, unlike the olive oil, the walnuts also helped the arteries maintain their elasticity and flexibility, even in the participants with higher cholesterol.

Lead researcher Dr. Emilio Ros said walnuts' protective effects could be because the nuts are high in antioxidants and ALA, a plant-based omega-3 fatty acid. Walnuts also contain arginine, which is an amino acid that the body uses to produce nitric oxide, necessary for keeping blood vessels flexible.

Source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology - Oct. 17, 2006 edition

Hurray for walnuts and hurray for Deez!

Photos by Micah Jacob. The man with the camera.