Just one handful of walnuts every day can help support overall health

The California Walnut Commission announced today the third annual “Power of 3” global marketing campaign to increase awareness about the benefits of omega-3s and highlight how walnuts are an excellent source of plant-based omega-3 ALA (alpha-linolenic acid). Walnuts are easily accessible, versatile in their use in meals and snacks, and a delicious way for consumers to meet the recommended daily intake of plant-based omega-3 ALA (1.6 g/day for men and 1.1 g/day for women).¹

The campaign makes it easy for consumers around the globe to include a handful of walnuts in their daily meals and snacks. During March, the global campaign will run simultaneously in multiple continents and will feature retail promotions, advertising, plant-forward recipes, videos, and more – so consumers can easily create multi-cultural dining experiences right at home.

“We have seen incredible success with the Power of 3 campaign over the past two years and are thrilled to bring it back for 2022,” shares Pam Graviet, Sr. Marketing Director, International for the California Walnut Commission. “With more people adopting a plant-forward way of eating, it has been a great way to share how walnuts can help individuals achieve their personal goals. It’s always exciting to see how consumers share their personal experiences with California walnuts.”

“Walnuts are an excellent source of plant-based omega-3 ALA, which is often lacking in the diets of India's large vegetarian population. They are the only tree nut to contain a significant amount of omega-3 ALA (2.5g/28g), which may play a role in heart health, brain health and healthy aging.^2,3,4 There are three forms of omega-3s, including EPA and DHA commonly found in marine sources such as fish and algae, and ALA, an essential plant-based fatty acid that can be found in food sources including walnuts, flax and chia seeds,” adds Celebrity Nutritionist Nmami Agrawal.“Research continues to uncover the unique benefits of ALA, separate and apart from the more widely known benefits of marine sources."

Consumers can show how they are doing more for their health, a handful of walnuts at a time, by sharing on social using the hashtag: #SharethePowerof3. For more information about plant-based omega-3 ALA and California walnuts, along with delicious recipe inspiration, please visit californiawalnuts.in

The Science behind Plant-Based Omega-3 ALA:

¹Dietary reference intakes for energy, carbohydrate, fiber, fat, fatty acids, cholesterol, protein, and amino acids (Macronutrients) (2005) NAS. IOM. Food and Nutrition Board.
²Supportive but not conclusive research shows that eating 1.5 ounces of walnuts per day, as part of a low saturated fat and low cholesterol diet and not resulting in increased caloric intake, may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. (FDA) One ounce of walnuts offers 18g of total fat, 2.5g of monounsaturated fat, 13g of polyunsaturated fat including 2.5g of alpha-linolenic acid – the plant-based omega-3.
³Fleming JA, Kris-Etherton PM. The evidence for α-linolenic acid and cardiovascular disease benefits: comparisons with eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. Adv Nutr. 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 R oth 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 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. Dietary alpha-linolenic acid reduces inflammatory and lipid cardiovascular risk factors in hypercholesterolemic men and women. J Nutr. 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: Benefits for human health and a role in maintaining tissue n-3 fatty 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 Incident Adverse Events in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2020 Oct, 76 (18) 2089–2097. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2020.08.073
⁸Sala-Vila A, Guasch-Ferré M, Hu FB, et al. Dietary α-linolenic acid, marine ω-3 fatty acids, and mortality in a population with high fish consumption: findings from the PREvención con DIetaMEDiterránea (PREDIMED) study. J Am Heart Assoc. 2016;5(1):e002543. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.