A Serving of Nuts a Day Can Keep Hypertension Away, Study Finds

According to the World Health Organization, about 1 in 3 adults live with hypertension, and the condition leads to just over 10 million deaths a year. Coupled with the fact that hypertension can also increase the risk for other chronic conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and even dementia, it’s important to find ways to reduce the risk of the condition, and snacking on some nuts may do exactly that.

Nuts and Hypertension

Nuts are one of the best ways to satisfy a craving, and a recent study suggests that they may also help reduce the risk of hypertension.

The study examined eight existing studies involving 143 380 people aged 18 to 87. During the follow-up, 20 665 of the individuals developed hypertension. After analyzing the relationship between the consumption of nuts and the risk of the condition, the study suggested that nut lovers may have healthier levels of blood pressure.

According to the findings, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, eating around a handful of nuts daily (between 30-35g) was linked with a 26% lower risk of hypertension compared to not eating any nuts. A higher nut intake was also associated with a 16% lower risk of developing hypertension, and each additional 28g of nuts consumed per day was associated with a 20% lower risk.

Why are nuts good for blood pressure?

While the findings do not prove that nuts can directly lower blood pressure, they do have a nutritional profile that may explain their effect on blood pressure.

For one, nuts contain fiber, which helps to improve gut bacteria and subsequently relaxes the blood vessels and helps blood pressure to remain low. Nuts also contain unsaturated fats, magnesium, and potassium, all of which ease tension in blood vessel walls.

Which nuts are best?

While the aforementioned study didn’t specify which nuts are best, previous studies have noted that some may be more beneficial for blood pressure than others.

For instance, a 2019 study found that replacing saturated fats with whole walnuts lowered blood pressure and offered cardiovascular benefits. A separate study also found that pistachios have similar benefits.

Also, despite the choice of nuts, it would be advisable to opt for unsalted or lightly salted nuts, as this can limit sodium intake, which is important for managing blood pressure.

Nuts and DASH for blood pressure

Now, while a serving of nuts a day is a good choice, they alone won’t support or treat hypertension. With that, if you really want to protect your blood pressure with dietary changes, then adopting the DASH diet may be able to do so.

The DASH diet is an acronym for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension and, as the name suggests, the eating pattern is aimed at reducing high levels of blood pressure. It does this by focusing on portion size, as well as encouraging the consumption of a wide variety of foods rich in essential nutrients. These foods include fruits and vegetables, low- or non-fat dairy foods, legumes, and, unsurprisingly, nuts.

Want to know more?

A healthy diet plays an important role in treating high blood pressure. With that, a dietitian suggests avoiding these five foods to beat hypertension.

References

(2019). Walnuts may help lower blood pressure for those at risk of heart disease. Cardiovascular Journal of Africa, 30(5), 274. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8802358/

Metoudi, M., Sadler, I., Kassam, S. and Aune, D. (2026). Nut consumption and the risk of hypertension: A systematic review and dose–response meta-analysis of prospective studies. British Journal of Nutrition, [online] pp.1–8. doi:10.1017/s0007114526108137