Nuts

Heaps of walnuts, almonds, pecans, pistachios, hazelnuts, cashews and Brazil nuts
Walnuts, almonds, pecans, pistachios, hazelnuts, cashews and Brazil nuts are among the nuts this category covers
Infographic: fats, protein, fibre and minerals in nuts
Nuts supply mostly unsaturated fats, protein, fibre and minerals such as magnesium and selenium
Cracked Brazil nut shell on dark wood
Brazil nuts are one of the richest food sources of selenium

The Foods (9)

📊

Health Benefits of Nuts

What all nuts share in the large studies, each nut’s signature benefit with its caveats, and a side-by-side nutrient table per ounce.

Read the deep dive →
🧠

Walnuts

Persian walnuts eaten for nine millennia, rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) omega-3 and polyphenols, studied for brain, heart and gut-microbiome health.

Read the deep dive →
🌰

Almonds

Ancient Middle Eastern tree nut rich in vitamin E, magnesium and fiber, studied for heart health, blood sugar and weight; tree nut allergen.

Read the deep dive →
🥜

Peanuts

A South American legume eaten like a nut, rich in protein and niacin; the page covers heart studies, aflatoxin and peanut allergy.

Read the deep dive →
🥧

Pecans

The only major tree nut native to North America, high in oleic fat and showing the highest antioxidant capacity among common tree nuts.

Read the deep dive →
💚

Pistachios

Green desert-tree seeds with top tree-nut protein, high potassium, and eye-friendly lutein and zeaxanthin; studied for blood pressure and lipids.

Read the deep dive →
🍛

Cashews

A Brazilian seed hanging beneath a false fruit, unusually rich in copper and magnesium; cashew allergy is among the more severe tree nut allergies.

Read the deep dive →
🌳

Hazelnuts

European hazel kernels with about a quarter of the Daily Value of vitamin E per ounce, the most folate of common tree nuts, and olive-oil-like oleic fat.

Read the deep dive →
🌳

Brazil Nuts

Wild-harvested Amazon seeds, by far the richest food source of selenium; studied for thyroid, antioxidant enzymes and cholesterol, with a real upper limit.

Read the deep dive →
🌰

Macadamias

Australian rainforest nuts with the highest fat and most monounsaturated and palmitoleic fat of any common nut; a few small cholesterol trials.

Read the deep dive →

Tree nuts and the peanut, eaten in small amounts for their fat, protein, minerals and fiber. Soaking, roasting and rancidity all change what a nut delivers, and the pages say how. Peanuts are botanically a legume but are eaten and studied like nuts, so they are listed here.

Connections

Nuts and Seeds — scientific infographic poster