Help your Heart with these 5 awesome nuts!

Nuts have fantastic health benefits that encourage people to consume them as healthy snacks. One of the most significant health benefits of nuts is that most have minerals and vitamins that lower the risks of heart problems.

Therefore, by knowing which nuts are suitable for the heart, you can easily add nuts to your heart-healthy diet and not only enjoy their crispy and creamy taste but also benefit from their healthy fats and proteins. 

What nuts are good for heart?

First, you should know what makes a nut a heart-healthy snack. Generally, having no cholesterol, being sodium-free, and containing healthy fats are the main factors that make any food suitable for heart health.

However, other factors can help in finding better food for heart health. Here is the list of nuts that are good for the heart.

1. Walnuts Benefits for Heart Health

Walnuts are called “Super Food” because they are rich in protein, magnesium, Vitamin B-6, and many other excellent nutrients. Two of the principal risks of having any heart disease are high blood pressure and high cholesterol. 

But walnuts, packed with healthy fats with no cholesterol, can maintain healthy cholesterol levels and decrease blood pressure. But that’s not finished yet! Walnuts have the highest amount of Omega-3 among other nuts. Omega-3s are great for the heart and blood vessels.

They can help to reduce the risk of irregular heartbeat (which is called arrhythmia). Therefore, you can find anything that can improve heart health in walnuts. Eating seven walnuts a day (almost 28 grams or 1 cup) can boost your brain function and help to reduce the risks of heart attacks.

But remember, walnuts or any other nuts are not the only factors that affect your heart health. Having an active life, quitting smoking, and eating other healthy foods also impact your health.

Here are the nutrition facts for 100 grams of raw walnuts:
Calories: 654
Monounsaturated fat: 9 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 47 g
Protein: 15 g
Potassium: 441 mg (12% Daily Value)
Magnesium: 39% Daily Value
Iron: 16%
Vitamin B-6: 25%

2. Peanuts Benefits for Heart Health

Peanuts are also in the group of heart-healthy nuts. Like walnuts, peanuts are also a rich source of monounsaturated fat, which can manage cholesterol and reduce the level of LDL (stands for low-density lipoproteins, which is known as bad fat or bad cholesterol).

Peanuts are also packed with potassium and magnesium, which help control blood pressure and reduce the risks of type 2 diabetes. The anti-oxidants and Vitamin E are among the other nutrients in peanuts that are good for heart health because they can protect the body against inflammation and prevent damage inside arteries. Many people consider adding peanuts to their weight-loss diet too.

Researchers have found that eating at least 28 grams (a handful) of peanuts each day can help with your heart health. Unless you don’t have any allergy to peanuts, you won’t have any problem eating them every day.

Please note that the benefits of raw peanuts and roasted peanuts are the same. But it’s always better to consider the one without sodium. Therefore, if you choose roasted peanuts, always check to ensure they don’t contain additives or are low on salt. 

Here are the nutrition facts for 100 grams of raw peanuts:
Calories: 567
Monounsaturated fat: 24 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 16 g
Protein: 26 g
Potassium: 705 mg (20% Daily Value)
Magnesium: 42% Daily Value
Iron: 25%
Vitamin B-6: 15%

3. Almonds Heart-Heath Benefits

As a great source of Vitamin E, Almonds can reduce inflammation and improve blood flow. Almonds are also very high in magnesium, hindering buildup and cholesterol plaque in arteries and preserving them from being clogged.

Since Almonds have the highest amount of beneficial components, eating 14 grams of almonds each day can boost your health. Moreover, if you should pick only one nut to promote the function of your heart, you can choose almonds without any guilt.

The number of good fats in almonds is so high, which can maintain the cholesterol level and lower LDL, which are bad for the heart.

It should be mentioned that too many almonds a day are not good and might be harmful to your body.

Therefore, always be aware of consuming an adequate amount of these nuts each day. Usually, eating 8 to 10 almonds a day won’t have any damaging effects on your body.

4. Cashews Heart-Health Benefits

Cashews have several cardiovascular benefits. They are packed with whatever is needed for a healthy heart, such as vitamin E, vitamin B-6, folic acid, and unsaturated fats, beneficial in moderate quantities.

The healthy fat in this nut can help increase the capacity for HDL, which is responsible for absorbing the cholesterol from the heart and taking it to the liver, where it can be broken down.

Therefore, cashews can help the heart and reduce the risks of heart attack by lowering the cholesterol level.

A healthy daily intake of cashews is 28g (a small handful), almost 15 cashews. But it’s essential to take care of the number of cashews you consume each day because they are dense in calories.

Here are the nutrition facts for 100 grams of cashews:
Calories: 553
Monounsaturated fat: 24 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 8 g
Protein: 18 g
Potassium: 660 mg (18% Daily Value)
Magnesium: 73% Daily Value
Iron: 37%
Vitamin B-6: 20%

5. Pine Nuts Benefits for Heart

Pine nuts are loaded with high Polyunsaturated Fat, which is good for the heart. This nut is cholesterol-free and doesn’t have any sodium. Being high in magnesium is another reason why pine nuts are considered one of the best heart-healthy nuts.

The combination of monounsaturated fats, magnesium, and vitamin E, is a great shield to protect the heart from different diseases. Like other nuts on this list, pine nuts are also incredible edibles that can reduce cholesterol levels.

Having balanced cholesterol and preventing it from exceeding the average level is the primary key to protect the heart. That’s what pine nuts can easily do.

Here are the nutrition facts for 100 grams of pine nuts:
Calories: 673
Monounsaturated fat: 19 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 34 g
Protein: 14 g
Potassium: 597 mg (17% Daily Value)
Magnesium: 62% Daily Value
Iron: 30%
Vitamin B-6: 5%

Bottom Line

Among the many health benefits that nuts have, being heart healthy is so popular. Most people search for a healthy snack that they can consume daily without concern, especially heart health. Generally, all the nuts are suitable for the overall health of the body.

But some have a better effect on the heart, making them a better choice for people prone to heart diseases. But you should never forget that, to have a healthier life, you should change your lifestyle too.

Don’t consume too much unhealthy fat, thinking you can conquer them by eating a daily amount of nuts!

PS. This article is written based on the Natural Moreish content team’s research on different blogs, websites, and articles. Natural Moreish doesn’t suggest acknowledge or claim the information on this post.