What do walnuts do to your heart and blood?
Replacing Saturated Fat With Walnuts or Vegetable Oils Improves Central Blood Pressure and Serum Lipids in Adults at Risk for Cardiovascular Disease: A Randomized Controlled‐Feeding Trial
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Walnuts improved blood pressure more than oils with identical fat profiles, despite no difference in cholesterol effects.
Most assume walnuts’ benefits come from their healthy fats, but this shows something else—like polyphenols or fiber—may be lowering blood pressure.
Practical Takeaways
Replace butter, cheese, or red meat with a handful of walnuts (about 2–3.5 oz) daily to support heart health.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Walnuts improved blood pressure more than oils with identical fat profiles, despite no difference in cholesterol effects.
Most assume walnuts’ benefits come from their healthy fats, but this shows something else—like polyphenols or fiber—may be lowering blood pressure.
Practical Takeaways
Replace butter, cheese, or red meat with a handful of walnuts (about 2–3.5 oz) daily to support heart health.
Publication
Journal
Journal of the American Heart Association: Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease
Year
2019
Authors
A. Tindall, K. Petersen, Ann C Skulas-Ray, Chesney K Richter, D. Proctor, P. Kris-Etherton
Related Content
Claims (6)
If you're at risk for heart disease, swapping out saturated fats for healthier fats like walnuts or olive oil for six weeks might help your blood pressure and cholesterol, but it won’t make your arteries more flexible in the short term.
If you're an adult with extra weight and a higher risk for heart problems, eating a special diet with less saturated fat and more healthy fats—like those in walnuts or vegetable oils—for 6 weeks can lower your bad cholesterol by about 10 to 15 points, no matter if the healthy fats come from whole walnuts or oils.
If you're at risk for heart disease, swapping some unhealthy fats in your diet for a handful of walnuts every day for six weeks might lower a key type of blood pressure by a small but meaningful amount — and the nuts themselves may do more good than just their fats alone.
If you're at risk for heart disease, swapping some fatty foods for whole walnuts every day for six weeks might lower an important type of blood pressure by a small but meaningful amount — even if your top blood pressure number doesn't change.
Swapping out bad fats like butter or fried food fats with healthy fats from walnuts can help your liver make less cholesterol and clear more 'bad' cholesterol from your blood.