
Nuts and your heart: Eating nuts for heart health
What's in nuts that might make them heart healthy?
What amount of nuts is considered healthy?
Content
How might nuts help your heart?
What might make nuts heart healthy?
What's a healthy serving of nuts?
Does it matter what kind of nuts you eat?
How about nut oils? Are they healthy, too?
What amount of nuts is considered healthy?
As much as 80 percent of a nut is fat. Even though most of this fat is healthy fat, it's still a lot of calories. That's why you should eat nuts in moderation. Ideally, you should use nuts as a substitute for saturated fats, such as those found in meats, eggs and dairy products.
Instead of eating foods with unhealthy saturated fats, try substituting a handful of nuts or a tablespoon or two of a nut spread. The American Heart Association recommends eating about four servings of unsalted nuts a week. Select raw or dry-roasted nuts rather than those cooked in oil.
A serving is a small handful (1.5 ounces) of whole nuts or 2 tablespoons of nut butter. But again, do this as part of a heart-healthy diet. Just eating nuts and not cutting back on saturated fats found in many dairy and meat products won't do your heart any good.