May decrease inflammation

By including walnut oil in your diet, you may be able to reduce chronic inflammation, which has been related to cancer, heart disease, and other illnesses. A diet rich in ALA, one of the primary fatty acids in walnut oil, was found to reduce the synthesis of inflammatory proteins in the body in a 6-week trial of 23 individuals with high cholesterol. Walnuts are also abundant in ellagitannins, a type of polyphenol that your gut microbes use to create other advantageous substances.

These substances may have anti-inflammatory effects and function as antioxidants to prevent cell damage brought on by free radicals. This may help to explain why research conducted in test tubes has shown that walnut oil can reduce inflammation and boost antioxidant activity in cells. The amount that the advantageous components in walnuts are kept throughout the production of walnut oil is unknown, though. According to some research, walnut oil only contributes 5% of the antioxidant activity of whole walnuts.