If nuts aren’t a part of your regular diet, consider making them one.
There’s strong evidence that eating more nuts can help you live longer in good health.
Nutrient-dense nuts are staple ingredients in many well-studied dietary patterns, including the Mediterranean, DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) and MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diets, as well as the cholesterol-lowering Portfolio diet.
They’re also incorporated into many healthy traditional Asian diets.
Here’s a primer on nuts – their health advantages, key nutrients they deliver and how many to eat – plus alternatives if you have a nut allergy.
How eating nuts can protect health
There is consistent evidence that a higher intake of nuts helps lower the risk of heart disease, stroke and dying from cardiovascular disease. Eating nuts is also linked with protection from type 2 diabetes.
Nuts have been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the bloodstream, lower blood pressure, dampen inflammation, enhance blood vessel function and improve insulin sensitivity.
Nuts contain heart healthy unsaturated fats, plant protein and fibre, as well as blood-pressure-lowering potassium and magnesium. Some nuts are also high in vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps preserve the lining of blood vessel walls.
Plus, many types of nuts are good sources of flavonoids, phytochemicals that help nourish gut bacteria that regulate inflammation.
Recommended nut intake
Healthy dietary patterns typically include one serving of nuts, 28 to 45 g, at least five times a week.
For example, the DASH eating plan advises eating 45 g of nuts (about one-third-cup) five times a week if you consume a 2,000-calorie diet. The plant-based Portfolio diet recommends 45 g of nuts every day.
The MIND diet includes 28 g of nuts at least five days a week. Mediterranean diet guidelines often suggest a daily serving of nuts.
Nut butters count too. Two tablespoons of nut butter is equivalent to one serving of nuts.
If you’re allergic to tree nuts or peanuts, try adding seeds and seed butters to your diet, which have a similar nutrient profile.
What about the calories in nuts?
It’s true that nuts are calorie-dense due to their high fat content (160 to 195 calories per 28 g depending on the type), but there’s no evidence that eating a handful of nuts each day leads to weight gain.
In fact, research suggests that daily nut consumption is associated with a reduction in weight and body fat.
The fat and protein in nuts promote satiety, filling you up for longer than, say, a granola bar or crackers.
And thanks to cell walls in nuts that are hard to digest, we also don’t absorb all the fat in nuts. As a result, the calorie content of nuts may be overestimated by as much as 25 per cent.
Noteworthy nutrients in nuts
Include a variety of nuts – raw or dry roasted, unsalted and unsweetened – in your diet to get a wide range nutrients and protective phytochemicals.
Here’s a look at noteworthy nutrients in different types of nuts, plus how many of each make up a 28 g serving.
In 23 almonds you’ll find 6 g of protein, 3.5 g of fibre, 76 mg of calcium and 76 mg of magnesium. Almonds really stand out for heart- and brain-friendly vitamin E; one serving provides 7 mg, nearly half a day’s worth for adults.
Six Brazil nuts make up a 28 g serving but thanks to their hefty content of selenium, a mineral that supports immune and thyroid health, you shouldn’t eat six per day.
One Brazil nut delivers 95 mcg of selenium, two days’ worth of the mineral. The safe upper limit of selenium from foods and supplements combined id 400 mcg.
A serving of 18 cashews contributes an impressive 84 mg of magnesium to your daily diet, along with 10 mcg of bone-strengthening vitamin K.
Notable nutrients in 28 peanuts include 7.3 g of protein, 68 mcg of folate (adults need 400 mcg per day), along with a decent amount of niacin, a B vitamin that’s used to make stress hormones, improve circulation and reduce inflammation.
One serving of pecans, equivalent to 19 halves, supplies a wide range of nutrients. The nut’s claim fame, though, it’s flavonoid content, the highest among all types of nuts.
Pistachios serve up 6 g of protein, 3 g of fibre and nearly 300 mg of potassium per serving (49 nuts). They’re also a good source of many different antioxidants.
Unlike other nuts, walnuts are the only nut to contain an excellent source of alpha linolenic acid, a plant-based omega-4 fatty acid. You’ll find 2.5 g in one serving (14 halves, more than one day’s worth for adults.
Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals in walnuts are also thought to improve brain function and slow mental decline associated with aging.
All research on this web site is the property of Leslie Beck Nutrition Consulting Inc. and is protected by copyright. Keep in mind that research on these matters continues daily and is subject to change. The information presented is not intended as a substitute for medical treatment. It is intended to provide ongoing support of your healthy lifestyle practices.