According to new research published in Food and Function, researchers from The University of Scranton in Scranton, Pa., compared the amount of powerful antioxidants called polyphenols in nine types of roasted and raw nuts and two types of peanut butter, in an attempt to "crack" the antioxidant code. The results? Walnuts are the valedictorian.
The analysis found the content and quality, or potency, of antioxidants present in walnuts was highest among the nuts. According to lead researcher Professor Joseph Vinson, Ph.D., Department of Chemistry at The University of Scranton, "A handful of walnuts has almost twice the antioxidant content as an equivalent amount of any other commonly consumed nut."