Some nuts are higher in certain nutrients than others. For example, just one Brazil nut provides more than 100% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for selenium (2).
The carb content of nuts is highly variable. Hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, and Brazil nuts have fewer than 2 grams of digestible carbs per serving, while cashews have almost 8 digestible carbs per serving.
That being said, nuts are generally an excellent food to eat on a low-carb diet.
2. Loaded With Antioxidants
Nuts are packed with powerful antioxidants.
The polyphenols found in nuts help fight oxidative stress by neutralizing free radicals — unstable molecules that can damage cells and raise the risk of various diseases.
One study even showed that walnuts have a stronger ability to combat free radicals than fish.
Research has also found that the antioxidants in nuts like walnuts and almonds help shield the delicate fats within your cells from oxidative harm.
In a small study involving 13 participants, eating walnuts or almonds boosted polyphenol levels and significantly lowered oxidative damage compared with a control meal.
Another study showed that within 2–8 hours of eating whole pecans, participants experienced a 26–33% reduction in oxidized LDL (“bad”) cholesterol — a key contributor to heart disease.
That said, some research involving older adults and people with metabolic syndrome found that walnuts and cashews did not dramatically increase overall antioxidant capacity, although other health markers did show improvement.
3. May Aid Weight Loss
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