Nuts vs. the Big Three; a Closer Look at Health Claim

The strongest health benefits of nuts relate to heart health. An analysis of four large U.S. population studies showed that those who ate the most nuts had about 35 percent lower risk of developing heart disease. Nut consumption is linked to reduced levels of both total and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, which scientists say explains much of their heart-health benefits.

The type of nuts we select may also make a difference. A serving of salted nuts are as high in sodium as a small bag of potato chips.And at least half of the antioxidants in nuts are lost when the soft skin called the pellicle is removed. Walnuts are almost always eaten with the pellicle, yet almonds and peanuts may not have the pellicle.

Research establishing nuts’ place in a health-promoting diet is far from ironclad. But the potential is clearly there, as long as you eat them in moderate portions as a replacement for other high-calorie, less-nutritious foods like chips, sweets or fatty meats.