Yes. A small handful of almonds, walnuts or most other unsalted nuts a day lowers LDL cholesterol a little, and more when they replace less healthy snacks.
A meta-analysis of 61 trials found that each 1 oz (28 g) serving of tree nuts a day lowered LDL by about 4.8 mg/dL (0.12 mmol/L), with bigger effects at around 60 g a day. The type of nut mattered less than the amount. Almonds and walnuts are among the best studied, and both have under 2 g of saturated fat per ounce. Keep to a small handful, because nuts are high in calories.
Nuts: nutrition per 1 oz (28 g) handful
| Food and serving | Sat fat | Cholesterol | Fibre | kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Almonds, raw1 oz (28 g), about 23 nuts · FDC 170567 | 1.1 g | 0 mg | 3.5 g | 162 |
| Walnuts, raw1 oz (28 g), about 14 halves · FDC 170187 | 1.7 g | 0 mg | 1.9 g | 183 |
| Pistachios, raw1 oz (28 g) · FDC 170184 | 1.7 g | 0 mg | 3 g | 157 |
| Pecans1 oz (28 g) · FDC 170182 | 1.7 g | 0 mg | 2.7 g | 193 |
| Cashews, raw1 oz (28 g) · FDC 170162 | 2.2 g | 0 mg | 0.9 g | 155 |
| Macadamias, raw1 oz (28 g) · FDC 170178 | 3.4 g | 0 mg | 2.4 g | 201 |
| Brazil nuts1 oz (28 g) · FDC 170569 | 4.5 g | 0 mg | 2.1 g | 185 |
Almonds are mostly monounsaturated fat (8.8 g per oz). Walnuts are mostly polyunsaturated (13.2 g per oz), including about 2.5 g of the plant omega-3 ALA. Brazil nuts and macadamias are higher in saturated fat, but still lower than an ounce of cheddar (5.3 g). Nut counts per ounce are approximate. Source: USDA FoodData Central (public domain); search the FDC number to see the full record. Values are rounded and vary by brand and recipe.
A handful barely dents your saturated fat
A 1 oz handful of almonds uses less than a tenth of a 13 g day, and walnuts about an eighth. Even Brazil nuts, the highest here, use about a third. Compare that with a typical chocolate bar or a cheese and cracker snack, which can use half a day or more.
Bars show each serving against about 13 g a day, the American Heart Association's target (under 6% of 2,000 calories) for people lowering LDL. Work out your own number with the saturated fat calculator.
What the trials found
All tree nuts. A 2015 meta-analysis from Tufts University pooled 61 controlled trials (2,582 people) of walnuts, almonds, pistachios, pecans, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias and Brazil nuts. Per 1 oz serving a day, nuts lowered:
- LDL cholesterol by 4.8 mg/dL (0.12 mmol/L)
- total cholesterol by 4.7 mg/dL
- apolipoprotein B by 3.7 mg/dL
- triglycerides by 2.2 mg/dL
The effect grew at higher doses, especially at 60 g a day or more, and no nut type stood out. The 2026 ACC/AHA cholesterol guideline uses the same 4.8 mg/dL per daily serving.
Walnuts. A 2018 meta-analysis of 26 walnut trials (1,059 people) found LDL fell by 5.5 mg/dL on walnut-enriched diets, with no gain in weight or change in blood pressure. In the 2-year WAHA trial in healthy older adults, about 30 to 60 g of walnuts a day lowered LDL by an average of 4.3 mg/dL and reduced the number of LDL particles. The LDL drop was larger in men than women, which needs confirming.
Almonds are part of the Portfolio Diet, which combines nuts with soluble fibre, soy protein and plant sterols and lowered LDL by about 13 to 29% in trials.
These are modest effects for one food, about 3 to 4% for someone with an LDL of 130 mg/dL. They add up when nuts replace crisps, biscuits or cheese.
Which nuts are best?
- Almonds: lowest saturated fat here, most fibre and the most popular snack nut. Good for snacking and porridge.
- Walnuts: the only common nut rich in plant omega-3 (ALA). Good in salads, oats and baking.
- Pistachios and pecans: similar to walnuts for saturated fat. Shelling pistachios slows you down, which helps with portions.
- Cashews, macadamias and Brazil nuts: higher in saturated fat, but still fine in a small handful. Brazil nuts are also very high in selenium, so a couple at a time is plenty.
- Peanuts are legumes rather than tree nuts, but have a similar profile. See is peanut butter good for cholesterol?
Choose unsalted, raw or dry-roasted nuts. Honey-roasted, chocolate- or yoghurt-coated nuts add sugar and sometimes saturated fat, and salted nuts add sodium.
How to eat them
- As your afternoon snack, in place of crisps, biscuits or a chocolate bar.
- On porridge, cereal or yoghurt: chopped walnuts or flaked almonds.
- In salads and stir-fries instead of cheese or croutons.
- In baking: ground almonds can replace some of the butter and flour in crumbles and cakes.
- In a dark chocolate and nut bark: see the recipe.
How much is sensible?
About 1 oz (28 g) a day, a small handful, is the serving used in most trials and fits easily into a 13 g saturated fat day. That's about 160 to 190 calories. Larger amounts lowered LDL more in trials, but only use more if they replace other foods, or the calories will add up. Pre-portion them into small pots rather than eating from the bag.
General information, not medical advice
This page is for education and doesn't diagnose or treat anything. If you have high cholesterol, take medication or have another health condition, check changes to your diet with your doctor or a registered dietitian.
Frequently asked questions
Do nuts lower cholesterol?
Yes, a little. In a meta-analysis of 61 trials, each 1 oz serving of tree nuts a day lowered LDL by about 4.8 mg/dL (0.12 mmol/L). Higher intakes, around 60 g a day, lowered it more.
Are almonds or walnuts better for cholesterol?
Both work. Trials found the amount of nuts mattered more than the type. Almonds have less saturated fat (1.1 g vs 1.7 g per oz) and more fibre; walnuts have plant omega-3 (about 2.5 g of ALA per oz).
How many almonds a day to lower cholesterol?
About 1 oz (28 g), roughly 23 almonds, a day is the serving used in most trials. That has 1.1 g of saturated fat and about 160 calories.
Are nuts high in cholesterol?
No. Nuts are plant foods, so they contain no cholesterol. Most have under 2 g of saturated fat per ounce; macadamias and Brazil nuts have more.
Do nuts make you gain weight?
In the walnut trials, walnut-enriched diets didn't change body weight. Nuts are high in calories, though, so they work best in place of other snacks, in portions of about 1 oz.
Scan or log nuts in Heart Tracker
Search for the nuts you eat, or scan the pack, and log the grams. Heart Tracker adds the saturated fat and fibre to your day, and a quick weigh-in of your usual handful shows whether it's 28 g or closer to 50.
Download Heart Tracker FreeRelated guides
Sources
- Del Gobbo LC, et al. Effects of tree nuts on blood lipids, apolipoproteins, and blood pressure: systematic review, meta-analysis, and dose-response of 61 controlled intervention trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015;102(6):1347–56.
- Guasch-Ferré M, et al. Effects of walnut consumption on blood lipids and other cardiovascular risk factors: an updated meta-analysis and systematic review of controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2018;108(1):174–87.
- Rajaram S, et al. Effects of walnut consumption for 2 years on lipoprotein subclasses among healthy elders: findings from the WAHA randomized controlled trial. Circulation. 2021;144(13):1083–5.
- 2026 ACC/AHA multisociety guideline on the management of dyslipidemia. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2026.
- USDA FoodData Central: almonds (FDC 170567), walnuts, English (170187), pistachios, raw (170184), pecans (170182), cashews, raw (170162), macadamias, raw (170178), Brazil nuts (170569).