Are Almonds & Nuts Good For Your Health?

Despite being calorie-dense, almonds and other nuts offer a wealth of nutrition. Including moderate amounts of these snacks in your daily diet is unlikely to cause weight gain, but could improve the quality of your diet. Use nuts as an accompaniment to meals -- sprinkled over salads or cereals -- or as a snack on their own to benefit.

Nutrition Value

Most nuts provide dozens of vitamins and minerals along with heart-healthy unsaturated fats. One oz. of almonds provides about 35 percent of the recommended dietary allowance for the antioxidant vitamin E. Walnuts provide a high amount of omega-3 fatty acids which may help reduce your risk of developing heart disease as well as assist with brain development. Pistachios provide 18 percent of the RDA for manganese and vitamin B6. Brazil nuts provide over 100 percent of the RDA for the trace mineral selenium.

Potential Dietary Impact

Nut eaters tend to have a better overall diet quality. In a 2010 issue of the "Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition," researchers used data from the 1999 to 2004 National health and Nutrition Examination Survey to determine that people consuming ¼ oz. or more of nuts daily had higher intakes of fiber, magnesium, calcium, vitamin E and potassium as well as lower intakes of sodium than people who did not regularly eat nuts.

Weight Concerns

Although nuts are high in fat and calories, adding moderate amounts to your diet does not seem to cause significant weight gain. Researchers from Purdue University found that adding 360 extra calories daily in almonds did not cause weight gain in participants after 10 weeks, reports a study in the "British Journal of Nutrition" from 2007. The satiating effect of the almonds seems to prevent overeating at other periods during the day, and the researchers surmised that some of the almonds calories passed through the body unabsorbed. The "Journal of Nutrition" in September 2008 reported that in a few studies that compare weight loss programs that include nuts to those that do not, results suggest that allowing nuts during a weight loss program actually increases compliance and weight loss results.

Protein Serving

The U.S. Department of Agriculture database counts ½ oz. of nuts, or a tbsp. of nut butter, as one serving from the meat and beans category of foods. One-half oz. contains between 3 and 5 g of protein. A ½-oz. serving consists of about 11 almonds, seven walnut halves, four Brazil nuts, nine cashews, 10 pecan halves, 23 pistachios or six macadamias.

Considerations

Some prepared nut mixes contain high amounts of sodium. Honey-roasted, praline-covered and other "flavored" nut varieties may contain significantly more calories and sugar than dry-roasted, no-salt added varieties. Nuts purchased from bulk bins often cost less than those already packaged. Consider purchasing raw nuts and roasting them at home in a 400 degree F oven until fragrant. Nuts are prone to burning, however, so check them every two to three minutes to make sure they do not overcook.