Eating walnuts every day for a few weeks can lower your bad cholesterol and improve your overall cholesterol levels.

What we've found so far suggests that eating walnuts every day may lower total cholesterol levels in adults. Our analysis of the available research shows the evidence leans toward this idea, with no studies in our review refuting it. We looked at two key assertions based on research involving over a thousand adults from the U.S., Europe, and Asia. The first assertion indicates that daily walnut consumption over a few weeks can reduce bad cholesterol and improve overall cholesterol levels [1]. This finding is supported by 67 individual pieces of evidence. The second assertion suggests that eating walnuts daily might lower cholesterol by about 8.5 points, a change that could benefit heart health [2]. This is backed by 28 supporting pieces of evidence, with none contradicting it. All the evidence we’ve reviewed so far points in the same direction—toward a cholesterol-lowering effect from walnuts. However, we base this on only two assertions, even if each has strong backing. We don’t yet have enough data to say how long the effect lasts, whether all adults benefit equally, or if other factors like diet or activity levels change the outcome. Our current analysis does not prove walnuts lower cholesterol, nor do we claim they will work the same for everyone. But what we’ve seen up to this point is consistent: daily walnut intake is linked with lower cholesterol in the studies we’ve examined. Practical takeaway: If you're looking to support your heart health through diet, adding a handful of walnuts each day might help nudge your cholesterol in a healthier direction—based on what we've found so far.