Nuts for Nuts
I’ve been hearing about how beneficial unsalted nuts are for reducing the risk of heart disease, and also managing diabetes & lowering inflammation. On top of that, I’ve learned they’re packed with protein, fiber, and essential nutrients.
Every day, I grab a handful of nuts—not just for the health factor, but because they make an excellent snack between meals. They’re not only tasty, but they’re also a better option than the cookies or chips I’d normally reach for. And I bet the couple hundred calories in that handful of nuts is less than my other choices.
Many of us seniors are especially concerned about developing heart disease. That’s why this week I’m sharing excerpts from the November 15, 2023, online Mayo Clinic article, Nuts and Your Heart: Eating Nuts for Heart Health.
How do nuts help your heart?
Eating nuts as part of a healthy diet may be good for the heart. Nuts contain unsaturated fatty acids and other nutrients. And they’re a great snack food. They are inexpensive, easy to store and easy to pack when you’re on the go.
Research has found that frequently eating nuts lowers levels of inflammation related to heart disease and diabetes.
Regularly eating a healthy diet that includes nuts may:
- Improve artery health.
- Reduce inflammation related to heart disease.
- Decrease the risk of blood clots, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.
- Lower the risk of high blood pressure.
- Lower the risk of early death due to heart disease.
- Lower unhealthy cholesterol levels, specifically triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein, also called LDL or “bad” cholesterol.
What makes nuts heart-healthy?
Nuts are a good source of protein. Most nuts also contain at least some of these heart-healthy substances:
- Unsaturated fats. It’s not entirely clear why, but it’s thought that the “good” fats in nuts — both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats — lower bad cholesterol levels.
- Omega-3 fatty acids Many nuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s are healthy fatty acids. They may reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
- Fiber. All nuts contain fiber, which helps lower cholesterol. Fiber also makes you feel full, so you eat less.
- Plant sterols. Some nuts contain plant sterols, a substance that can help lower cholesterol. Plant sterols are often added to products such as margarine and orange juice for additional health benefits, but sterols occur naturally in nuts.
- L-arginine. Nuts are also a source of L-arginine. Some research suggests that L-arginine may lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol and improve overall blood vessel health.
What’s a healthy serving of nuts?
Nuts contain fat. Even though most of it is healthy fat, the calories can still add up. That’s why you should eat nuts in moderation.
Adults should aim to eat about 4 to 6 servings of unsalted nuts a week as part of a healthy diet.
Choose raw or dry-roasted nuts rather than nuts cooked in oil. One serving is a small handful (1.5 ounces) of whole nuts or 2 tablespoons of nut butter.
Does it matter what kind of nuts you eat?
Most nuts appear to be generally healthy. But some may have more heart-healthy nutrients than others. For example, walnuts contain high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids.
Almonds [You may also wish to read my March 2019 post, Almonds—The Close-to-Perfect Nut], macadamia nuts, hazelnuts and pecans also appear to be quite heart-healthy. So are peanuts — though they are technically not a nut, but a legume, like beans.
It’s best to choose unsalted or unsweetened nuts. Adding salt or sugar to nuts may cancel out their heart-healthy benefits.
Here’s some nutrition information on common types of nuts. All calorie and fat content measurements are for 1 ounce, or 28.4 grams (g), of unsalted nuts.
| Type of nut | Calories | Total fat |
| Almonds, dry-roasted | 170 | 14.9 g |
| Almonds, raw | 164 | 14.2 g |
| Brazil nuts, raw | 187 | 19 g |
| Cashews, dry-roasted | 163 | 13.1 g |
| Chestnuts, roasted | 70 | 0.6 g |
| Hazelnuts (filberts), dry-roasted | 183 | 17.7 g |
| Hazelnuts (filberts), raw | 178 | 17.2 g |
| Macadamia nuts, dry-roasted | 204 | 21.6 g |
| Macadamia nuts, raw | 204 | 21.5 g |
| Peanuts, dry-roasted | 166 | 14.1 g |
| Pecans, dry-roasted | 201 | 21.1 g |
| Pistachios, dry-roasted | 162 | 13 g |
| Walnuts, halved | 185 | 18.5 g |