Is Wild Walnut the Same as Walnut? These Groups Should Not Eat It

Most people are rather unfamiliar with wild walnut. So is wild walnut the same as walnut? What are the effects and functions of wild walnut? Who should not eat wild walnut? Let's take a look.

1. Is wild walnut the same as walnut?

Wild walnut is a type of walnut, also known as mountain walnut, hickory, autumn walnut and so on. It is a deciduous tree or small tree of the genus Juglans in the family Juglandaceae. Its main difference from other species in the same genus is that the undersides of the grown leaflets are densely covered with short pubescence and stellate hairs, the infructescence is long and pendulous, and the seeds contain 34% oil. The seeds are edible, can be made into soap, and used as lubricating oil. The wood, bark and fruit husk have various economic and medicinal uses. It is often used as rootstock for edible walnuts.

The wild walnut tree reaches 12 to 25 m in height, with a diameter at breast height of 1 to 1.5 m. The young branches are grayish green, covered with glandular hairs, and the pith is separated into thin plates. The terminal bud is conical and exposed. The odd-pinnate compound leaves are usually 40 to 50 cm long, with the petiole and rachis both covered with hairs, and bear 9 to 17 leaflets. The leaflets are nearly opposite, without petiolules, stiffly papery, ovate-oblong or long-ovate, 8 to 15 cm long and 3 to 7.5 cm wide, with acuminate tips, obliquely rounded or slightly obliquely cordate bases, and finely serrate margins. Both surfaces have stellate hairs, sparse above and dense below, and the midvein and lateral veins also have glandular hairs, with 11 to 17 pairs of lateral veins.

Wild walnut grows in mixed forests at an altitude of 800 to 2000 m. Its natural habitats are mostly in warmer zones. It is a warmth-loving tree species, but it is highly cold-resistant and not tolerant of damp heat. It requires sufficient sunlight and has relatively high demands for soil fertility. It is not tolerant of barren soil, and prefers fertile, moist, well-drained slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil. Its producing areas are distributed in Gansu, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Guangxi, Xinjiang and other places.

2. Effects and functions of wild walnut

The seed oil of wild walnut is edible, can be made into soap, and used as lubricating oil. The wood is solid and does not crack over time, and can be used for various kinds of furniture. The bark and outer fruit husk contain tannins and can be used as raw material for tannin extract. The inner fruit shell is thick and can be made into activated carbon. The phloem fibers of the bark can be used as raw material for the fiber industry. Wild walnut oil has the effects of lubricating the intestines and promoting bowel movements, killing insects, and healing sores. Wild walnut kernel has the effects of moistening the lungs and resolving phlegm, warming the kidneys and supporting yang, moisturizing the skin, and promoting bowel movements.

3. Who should not eat wild walnut?

1. Patients with pneumonia, bronchiectasis and other conditions should not eat wild walnut, because wild walnut is hot in nature, and eating too much generates phlegm and stirs fire;

2. Walnuts cannot be eaten together with pheasant meat, nor with alcohol, because eating these foods together easily causes blood heat. People with a previous history of hemoptysis should especially avoid this. For example, in patients with bronchiectasis or pulmonary tuberculosis, drinking white liquor can cause hemoptysis; even without eating walnuts together, it can still cause illness.