Are nuts good for your heart and your weight?
For most people, a daily handful of nuts is a well-supported choice for a healthier heart. Anyone wanting to lose weight or prevent diabetes cannot rely on nuts to achieve that on their own.
A handful of nuts a day is linked to a clearly lower risk of heart disease. Many studies combined show that this risk drops by around 21% compared with eating no nuts at all. The chance of dying early was also about 22% lower among people who eat nuts regularly.
The strongest direct evidence comes from a large study with 7,447 participants. People who followed a Mediterranean diet that included nuts had a 30% lower chance of a heart attack, stroke, or death from heart problems. Nuts played a role here as part of that diet, not as a standalone measure.
Nuts lower LDL cholesterol (the 'bad' cholesterol) and reduce inflammation in the body. There is a protective effect against strokes as well, but the evidence for it is weaker than the evidence for heart attacks.
For your weight, the picture is less clear. Nuts are high in calories, but studies give no reason to think that one portion a day causes weight gain. A proven slimming effect cannot be supported either.
Whether nuts lower the risk of type 2 diabetes is also uncertain, because the available studies send mixed signals. Finally, around 1 to 2 percent of adults have a nut allergy or another adverse reaction. For them, this advice obviously does not apply.
Based on two large combined analyses and a major long-term diet study. That study was later partly re-examined because of an error in how participants were assigned to groups at one centre, but the re-examination confirmed the main findings.
Is the Mediterranean diet really good for your heart, and why?
For people at increased heart risk, the Mediterranean diet is the best-supported dietary choice currently available. Both large studies in people and dozens of population studies confirm a lower risk of heart attack and stroke.
Is coffee good or bad for your heart?
For most healthy adults, three to four filtered cups per day is associated with a beneficial effect on the heart and blood vessels. Pregnant women are an important exception: for them, the maximum is around two cups per day.
Are calcium supplements bad for your heart?
Calcium supplements may be associated with an increased heart risk, but not all studies confirm this. It is best to get calcium from your diet, and discuss with your doctor whether a supplement is truly necessary for you.
Is a calcium score of my heart worth doing?
For people between 40 and 75 years old in a grey zone regarding statins, a calcium score is a well-supported tool for making a well-considered decision about medication together with your doctor.
Does unhealthy gums affect my heart?
People with serious gum disease show clearly higher risks of heart attack, stroke and premature death in large-scale research. Whether that association is causal is not yet certain, but keeping your gums healthy is worthwhile regardless.
Can losing weight noticeably improve my blood pressure and cholesterol?
Losing weight noticeably lowers your blood pressure and improves your cholesterol profile, but which value improves the most depends on your diet. And if the weight comes back, most of the gains disappear too.