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Nuts and your heart: Eating nuts for heart health
What amount of nuts is considered healthy?
Nuts contain a lot of fat; as much as 80 percent of a nut is fat. Even though most of this fat is healthy fat, it's still a lot of calories. That's why you should eat nuts in moderation. Ideally, you should use nuts as a substitute for saturated fats, such as those found in meats, eggs and dairy products.
Instead of eating unhealthy saturated fats, try substituting a handful of nuts. According to the Food and Drug Administration, eating about a handful (1.5 ounces, or 42.5 grams) a day of most nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, some pine nuts, pistachio nuts and walnuts, may reduce your risk of heart disease. But again, do this as part of a heart-healthy diet. Just eating nuts and not cutting back on saturated fats found in many dairy and meat products won't do your heart any good.
Does it matter what kind of nuts you eat?
Possibly. Most nuts appear to be generally healthy, though some more so than others. Walnuts are one of the best-studied nuts, and it's been shown they contain high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Almonds, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts and pecans are other nuts that appear to be quite heart healthy. Even peanuts — which are technically not a nut, but a legume, like beans — seem to be relatively healthy. Coconut, which is technically a fruit, may be considered by some to be a nut, but it doesn't have heart-health benefits. Both coconut meat and oil contain a large amount of saturated fat.
Keep in mind, you could end up canceling out the heart-healthy benefits of nuts if they're covered with chocolate, sugar or salt.
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 (Saturated/Unsaturated fat)* |
|---|---|---|
| Almonds, raw | 163 | 14 g (1.1 g/12.2 g) |
| Almonds, dry roasted | 169 | 15 g (1.1 g/13.1 g) |
| Brazil nuts, raw | 186 | 19 g (4.3 g/12.8 g) |
| Cashews, dry roasted | 163 | 13.1 g (2.6 g/10 g) |
| Chestnuts, roasted | 69 | 0.6 g (1 g/5 g) |
| Hazelnuts (filberts), raw | 178 | 17 g (1.3 g/15.2 g) |
| Hazelnuts (filberts), dry roasted | 183 | 17.7 g (1.3 g/15.6 g) |
| Macadamia nuts, raw | 204 | 21.5 g (3.4 g/17.1 g) |
| Macadamia nuts, dry roasted | 204 | 21.6 g (3.4 g/17.2 g) |
| Peanuts, dry roasted | 166 | 14 g (2g/11.4 g) |
| Pecans, dry roasted | 201 | 21 g (1.8 g/18.3 g) |
| Pistachios, dry roasted | 162 | 13 g (1.6 g/10.8 g) |
| Walnuts, halved | 185 | 18.5 g (1.7 g/15.9 g) |
*The saturated and unsaturated fat contents in each nut may not add up to the total fat content because the fat value may also include some nonfatty acid material, such as sugars or phosphates.
How about nut oils? Are they healthy, too?
Nut oils are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E, but they lack the fiber in whole nuts. Walnut oil is highest in omega-3s. Nut oils contain saturated as well as unsaturated fats. Consider using nut oils in homemade salad dressing or in cooking. When cooking with nut oils, remember that they respond differently to heat than do vegetable oils. Nut oil, if overheated, can become bitter. Just like with nuts, use nut oil in moderation, as the oils are high in fat and calories.
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- Almonds, raw. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search. Accessed Jan. 12, 2009.
- Almonds, dry roasted, without salt added. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search. Accessed Jan. 12, 2009.
- Brazil nuts, dried, unblanched. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search. Accessed Jan. 12, 2009.
- Cashew nuts, dry roasted, without salt added. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search. Accessed Jan. 12, 2009.
- Chestnuts, European, roasted, without salt added. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search. Accessed Jan. 12, 2009.
- Hazelnuts or filberts, raw. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search. Accessed Jan. 12, 2009.
- Hazelnuts or filberts, dry roasted, without salt added. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search. Accessed Jan. 12, 2009.
- Macadamia nuts, dry roasted, without salt added. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search. Accessed Jan. 12, 2009.
- Macadamia nuts, raw. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search. Accessed Jan. 12, 2009.
- Pecans, dry roasted, without salt added. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search. Accessed Jan. 12, 2009.
- Pistachio nuts, dry roasted, without salt added. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search. Accessed Jan. 12, 2009.
- Walnuts, English. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search. Accessed Jan. 12, 2009.
- Vegetable oil, coconut. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search. Accessed Jan. 16, 2009.
- Peanuts, all types, dry roasted without salt. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search. Accessed Jan. 25, 2009.
- Frequently asked questions: USDA nutrient database. United States Department of Agriculture. http://www.ars.usda.gov/Main/docs.htm?docid=6233. Accessed Jan. 26, 2009.
- A food labeling guide, XII. Appendix D: Qualified health claims. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/2lg-xd.html. Accessed May 21, 2009.
