Do walnuts help your heart by cleaning your blood fat?
Effects of Walnut Consumption on Blood Lipid Profile and Apolipoproteins in Adults: A GRADE‐Assessed Systematic Review and Dose–Response Meta‐Analysis of 49 Randomized Controlled Trials
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Walnuts don’t raise HDL cholesterol, even though they’re often called 'heart-healthy'.
Many people believe nuts boost 'good' cholesterol, but this large analysis shows no meaningful increase in HDL.
Practical Takeaways
Eat about a handful (30–50g) of walnuts daily to support heart health.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Walnuts don’t raise HDL cholesterol, even though they’re often called 'heart-healthy'.
Many people believe nuts boost 'good' cholesterol, but this large analysis shows no meaningful increase in HDL.
Practical Takeaways
Eat about a handful (30–50g) of walnuts daily to support heart health.
Publication
Journal
Food Science & Nutrition
Year
2026
Authors
G. Mashayekhi, D. Ashtary-Larky, Mehdi Karimi, Omid Asbaghi, Arvin Porkar Rezaeyeh, Zahra Shouhani, Ali Hosseini, M. Naderian
Related Content
Claims (7)
Eating walnuts might help improve your cholesterol levels because they're packed with healthy fats.
Eating walnuts can help lower bad and overall cholesterol levels in people.
Eating walnuts probably doesn't change certain blood proteins linked to heart health for most adults, but big servings might lower one of them — Apo-B — so more research is needed to be sure.
Eating walnuts can help lower bad cholesterol (LDL) in adults by about 5.7 points on average, and this seems to work whether your cholesterol is already normal or high.
Eating walnuts might help lower unhealthy fat levels in your blood, especially if you start with high levels, have obesity, or only eat them for a short time.