Including almonds, pecans and walnuts in your diet may help you prevent cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nuts not only prevent heart disease, but you can also consume them instead of meat, which provides fewer nutrients and harmful saturated fat. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends eating no more than a handful each day.
Healthy Fats, Phytosterols and Omega-3 Fatty Acids
A 1-oz. serving of almonds provides 13 g of unsaturated fats; pecans provide 18 g of unsaturated fats, and walnuts provide 17 g of unsaturated fats. Poly- and monounsaturated fats lower bad, or LDL, cholesterol levels. Cholesterol clogs arteries and can cause cardiac arrest. Almonds, pecans and walnuts also provide phytosterols, plant compounds that replace and encourage the excretion of bad cholesterol, and omega-3 fatty acids, which regulate heart rhythms.
Protein
A 1-oz. serving of almonds provides 6 g of protein, or 12 percent of the USDA recommended daily value; walnuts provide 4.3 g of protein, or 9 percent of the USDA daily value; and pecans provide 2.6 g of protein, or 5 percent of the USDA daily value. Protein is important for healing wounds. It provides amino acids, the building blocks for creating enzymes responsible for digestion and metabolic processes.
Fiber
A 1-oz. serving of walnuts provides 1.9 g of fiber, or 8 percent of the 25 g USDA daily value; pecans provide 2.7 g of fiber, or 11 percent of the USDA daily value; and almonds provide 3.5 g of fiber, or 14 percent of the 25 g USDA daily value. Fiber absorbs excess cholesterol in the intestines and excretes it from the body. It also improves digestion and fills you up, which prevents excess eating that can lead to weight gain.
Minerals
A 1-oz. serving of pecans provides 98 mg of phosphorus, or 10 percent of the 1,000 mg USDA daily value, and 200 mg of potassium, or 6 percent of the USDA daily value; almonds provide 137 mg of phosphorus, or 14 percent of the USDA daily value, and 200 mg of potassium, or 6 percent of the USDA daily value; and walnuts provide 98 mg of phosphorus, or 10 percent of the USDA daily value, and 125 mg of potassium, or 4 percent of the USDA daily value. Phosphorus is an important mineral for bone density maintenance. Eighty-five percent of phosphorus in the body is found in the bones, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. It works with calcium to construct the skeletal structure. Potassium regulates blood pressure.
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