Nuts are a tasty, convenient treat that can be enjoyed on all kinds of diets — from keto to vegan. In spite of being high in fat, they have many impressive health and weight benefits. Here are the top 8 health benefits of eating nuts that you should know.

What Are Nuts?

Nuts are seed kernels that are widely used in cooking or eaten on their own as a snack. They’re rich in fat and calories.

They have a hard, inedible outer shell that usually needs to be cracked open to release the kernel inside.

Fortunately, you can buy most nuts from the store already shelled and ready to eat.

Below are some of the most commonly consumed nuts:

Almonds
Brazil nuts
Cashews
Hazelnuts
Macadamia nuts
Pecans
Pine nuts
Pistachios
Walnuts

Although peanuts are technically legumes like peas and beans, they’re usually referred to as nuts due to their similar nutrition profile and characteristics.

1. A Great Source of Many Nutrients

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

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 example, 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.

2. Loaded With Antioxidants

Nuts are packed with powerful antioxidants.

The polyphenols found in nuts help fight oxidative stress by neutralizing free radicals — unstable molecules that can damage cells and raise the risk of various diseases.

One study even showed that walnuts have a stronger ability to combat free radicals than fish.

Research has also found that the antioxidants in nuts like walnuts and almonds help shield the delicate fats within your cells from oxidative harm.

In a small study involving 13 participants, eating walnuts or almonds boosted polyphenol levels and significantly lowered oxidative damage compared with a control meal.

Another study showed that within 2–8 hours of eating whole pecans, participants experienced a 26–33% reduction in oxidized LDL (“bad”) cholesterol — a key contributor to heart disease.

That said, some research involving older adults and people with metabolic syndrome found that walnuts and cashews did not dramatically increase overall antioxidant capacity, although other health markers did show improvement.

3. May Aid Weight Loss

Although 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.

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.

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.

In addition, 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.

For example, 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.

Similarly, recent studies revealed that your body absorbs about 21% and 5% fewer calories from walnuts and pistachios, respectively, than had previously been reported.

4. May Lower Cholesterol and Triglycerides

Nuts have impressive impacts on cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

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

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

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.

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.

Some 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.

5. Beneficial for Type 2 Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome

Type 2 diabetes is widespread, affecting hundreds of millions of people around the globe.

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that increase the likelihood of developing heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

Because of this overlap, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes are closely connected.

Interestingly, nuts appear to be particularly beneficial for individuals with either condition.

For one, they’re low in carbohydrates and have minimal impact on blood sugar. Replacing higher-carb foods with nuts can therefore help lower glucose levels.

Research also shows that nut consumption may help reduce oxidative stress, blood pressure, and other important health indicators in people with diabetes or metabolic syndrome.

In one controlled 12-week study, participants with metabolic syndrome who ate just under 1 ounce (25 grams) of pistachios twice daily saw their fasting blood sugar drop by an average of 9%.

Additionally, compared with the control group, those who ate pistachios experienced larger improvements in blood pressure and levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation tied to heart disease.

Still, findings are not completely consistent, and some studies do not show significant benefits for people with metabolic syndrome.

6. May Reduce Inflammation

Nuts have strong anti-inflammatory properties.

Inflammation is your body’s way of defending itself from injury, bacteria, and other potentially harmful pathogens.

Yet, chronic, long-term inflammation can cause damage to organs and increase disease risk. Research suggests that eating nuts may reduce inflammation and promote healthy aging.

In a study on the Mediterranean diet, those whose diets were supplemented with nuts experienced a 35% and 90% decrease in the inflammatory markers C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin 6 (IL-6), respectively.

Similarly, some nuts — including Brazil nuts, walnuts, pistachios, and almonds — have been found to fight inflammation in healthy people and those with serious conditions like diabetes and kidney disease.

However, one study on almond consumption in healthy adults observed little difference between the almond and control groups — even though some inflammatory markers decreased in those eating almonds.

7. High in Beneficial Fiber

Fiber provides a lot of health benefits.

Though your body can’t digest fiber, the bacteria that live in your colon can.

Many types of fiber function as prebiotics or food for your healthy gut bacteria.

Your gut bacteria then ferment the fiber and turn it into beneficial short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).

These SCFAs have powerful benefits, including improving gut health and reducing your risk of diabetes and obesity.

Additionally, fiber helps you feel full and reduces the number of calories you absorb from meals. One study suggests that increasing fiber intake from 18 to 36 grams daily may result in up to 130 fewer calories absorbed.

Below are the nuts with the highest fiber content per 1-ounce (28-gram) serving:

Almonds: 3.5 grams
Pistachios: 2.9 grams
Hazelnuts: 2.9 grams
Pecans: 2.9 grams
Peanuts: 2.6 grams
Macadamias: 2.4 grams
Brazil
nuts: 2.1 grams

8. May Reduce Your Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke

Nuts are extremely good for your heart.

Some studies suggest that nuts help lower heart disease and stroke risk thanks to their benefits for cholesterol levels, “bad” LDL particle size, artery function, and inflammation.

Studies discovered that small, dense LDL particles may increase heart disease risk more than larger LDL particles.

Interestingly, according to one study on the Mediterranean diet, people who ate nuts had a significant decline in small LDL particles and an increase in large LDL particles, as well as “good” HDL cholesterol levels.

In another study, people with normal or high cholesterol were randomly assigned to consume either olive oil or nuts with a high-fat meal.

People in the nut group had better artery function and lower fasting triglycerides than the olive oil group — regardless of their initial cholesterol levels.

Delicious, Versatile, and Widely Available

Nuts can be eaten in many forms — whole, blended into nut butters, or chopped and added to meals.

They’re easy to find both in stores and online, and they come in countless varieties, such as salted, unsalted, seasoned, plain, raw, or roasted.

For the best health benefits, it’s ideal to eat nuts raw or lightly toast them in the oven at temperatures under 350°F (175°C). Dry-roasted nuts are also a good choice, but it’s best to avoid those roasted in vegetable or seed oils.

Nuts store well at room temperature, making them perfect for travel or quick snacks. But if you plan to keep them for a longer period, refrigerating or freezing them will help maintain their freshness.

The Bottom Line

Eating nuts on a regular basis may improve your health in many ways, such as by reducing diabetes and heart disease risk, as well as cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

This nutritious high-fiber treat may even aid weight loss — despite its high calorie count.

As long as you eat them in moderation, nuts make for a tasty addition to a healthy, balanced diet.