Top 4 Health Benefits of Nuts

Nuts are highly nutritious. One ounce (28 grams) of mixed nuts contains (1):

• Calories: 173
• Protein: 5 grams
• Fat: 16 grams, including 9 grams of monounsaturated fat
• Carbs: 6 grams
• Fiber: 3 grams
• Vitamin E: 12% of the RDI
• Magnesium: 16% of the RDI
• Phosphorus: 13% of the RDI
• Copper: 23% of the RDI
• Manganese: 26% of the RDI
• Selenium: 56% of the RDI

Some nuts are higher in certain nutrients than others. For instance, just one Brazil nut provides more than 100% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for selenium (2).

The carb content of nuts is highly variable. Hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, and Brazil nuts have fewer than 2 grams of digestible carbs per serving, while cashews have almost 8 digestible carbs per serving.

That being said, nuts are generally an excellent food to eat on a low-carb diet.

SUMMARYNuts are high in fat, low in carbs, and a great source of several nutrients, including vitamin E, magnesium, and selenium.

Nuts are antioxidant powerhouses.

Antioxidants, including the polyphenols in nuts, can combat oxidative stress by neutralizing free radicals — unstable molecules that may cause cell damage and increase disease risk (3Trusted Source).

One study found that walnuts have a greater capacity to fight free radicals than fish (4Trusted Source).

Research shows that the antioxidants in walnuts and almonds can protect the delicate fats in your cells from being damaged by oxidation (5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source).

In one study in 13 people, eating walnuts or almonds increased polyphenol levels and significantly reduced oxidative damage, compared to a control meal (7Trusted Source).

Another study found that 2–8 hours after consuming whole pecans, participants experienced a 26–33% drop in their levels of oxidized “bad” LDL cholesterol — a major risk factor for heart disease (8Trusted Source).

However, studies in older people and individuals with metabolic syndrome found that walnuts and cashews didn't have a big impact on antioxidant capacity, though some other markers improved (9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source).

SUMMARYNuts contain antioxidants known as polyphenols, which may protect your cells and “bad” LDL cholesterol from damage caused by free radicals.

Though they're considered a high-calorie food, research suggests that nuts may help you lose weight.

One large study assessing the effects of the Mediterranean diet found that people assigned to eat nuts lost an average of 2 inches (5 cm) from their waists — significantly more than those given olive oil (11Trusted Source).

Almonds have consistently been shown to promote weight loss rather than weight gain in controlled studies. Some research suggests that pistachios aid weight loss as well (12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source).

In one study in overweight women, those eating almonds lost nearly three times as much weight and experienced a significantly greater decrease in waist size compared to the control group (15Trusted Source).

What's more, even though nuts are quite high in calories, research shows that your body doesn't absorb all of them, as a portion of fat stays trapped within the nut's fibrous wall during digestion (16Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source).

For instance, while the nutrition facts on a package of almonds may indicate that a 1-ounce (28-gram) serving has 160–170 calories, your body only absorbs about 129 of these calories (19Trusted Source).

Similarly, recent studies found that your body absorbs about 21% and 5% fewer calories from walnuts and pistachios, respectively, than had previously been reported (20Trusted Source, 21Trusted Source).

SUMMARYNuts have been shown to promote weight loss rather than contribute to weight gain. Several studies indicate that your body doesn't absorb all of the calories in nuts.

Nuts have impressive effects on cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Pistachios have been shown to lower triglycerides in people who are obese and those with diabetes.

In one 12-week study in obese people, those eating pistachios had triglyceride levels nearly 33% lower than in the control group (14Trusted Source, 22Trusted Source).

The cholesterol-lowering power of nuts may be due to their high content of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Almonds and hazelnuts appear to raise “good” HDL cholesterol while reducing total and “bad” LDL cholesterol. One study found that ground, sliced, or whole hazelnuts had similar beneficial effects on cholesterol levels (23Trusted Source, 24Trusted Source, 25Trusted Source, 26Trusted Source).

Another study in women with metabolic syndrome observed that eating a 1-ounce (30-gram) mix of walnuts, peanuts, and pine nuts per day for 6 weeks significantly lowered all types of cholesterol — except “good” HDL (27Trusted Source, 28Trusted Source).

Several studies show that macadamia nuts lower cholesterol levels as well. In one trial, a moderate-fat diet including macadamia nuts reduced cholesterol as much as a lower-fat diet (29Trusted Source, 30Trusted Source, 31Trusted Source, 32Trusted Source).

SUMMARYNuts may help lower total and “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides while boosting levels of “good” HDL cholesterol.