Are Walnuts or Almonds Healthier?

Walnuts and almonds are two popular types of nuts that are packed with vitamins, minerals, and heart-healthy fats.While they may be used interchangeably in multiple recipes, you may wonder whether one nut is better for you than the other.

This article compares walnuts and almonds, including their nutritional differences and similarities, to determine which is healthier.

Nutritional comparison

Walnuts and almonds have fairly similar nutritional profiles. Here’s a comparison of a 1-ounce (30-gram) serving of each :

While their fat, carb, and protein contents vary slightly, almonds pack more minerals.

However, walnuts take the lead when it comes to omega-3 fatty acids, specifically alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). In fact, they’re the nut with the highest ALA content .

SUMMARY

Almonds and walnuts have similar nutritional profiles. However, almonds provide a higher mineral content while walnuts pack more omega-3 fatty acids.

Benefits comparison

Walnuts and almonds are nutrient-dense foods that have been associated with beneficial effects on weight loss, blood sugar control, and brain and heart health.

Best nut for weight loss

Overall, nuts are often restricted when it comes to weight loss because of their high fat content and calorie density. However, recent research suggests that they may help reduce body weight, especially when it comes to almonds.

Studies show that when almonds are included in weight loss diets, people tend to lose more weight, especially around the waistline — an effect that’s associated with the loss of visceral fat. This kind that may increase your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Researchers believe that almonds’ high fat, protein, and fiber contents may increase feelings of fullness, which leads to reduced hunger.

Additionally, they’re high in unsaturated fats, which have high rates of fat oxidation, which specifically reduce visceral fat.

Lastly, almonds have also been linked to the incomplete absorption of energy, as their cell walls prevent the release of fats. As such, your body can’t absorb all of their calories.

As for walnuts, one study in 293 people reported greater weight loss when including 1 ounce (30 grams) of walnuts as part of a weight loss diet, compared with the control group.

Yet, studies on walnuts’ effect on weight loss are limited, and current research seems to be mixed. Thus, more research is still needed.

Best nut for keto

The keto diet  is a very low carb diet that usually restricts your carb intake to 25–50 grams per day and provides around 65–90% and 10–35% of calories from fats and proteins, respectively.

While nuts are a keto-friendly food  that makes an excellent snack, you should still be mindful of their carb content and preferably choose those with a higher fiber content.

This is because your body cannot digest fiber, so it doesn’t contribute to your calorie count. Thus, it helps reduce a food’s net carb content, which is calculated by subtracting the fiber content from its total carb count.

That said, while a 1-ounce (30-gram) serving of almonds has a higher fiber content than an equal serving of walnuts, walnut’s net carb count is still lower than that of almonds — 2 grams versus 3 grams.

Still, that’s only a slight difference. Therefore, both nuts may be consumed on the keto diet, as long as you make sure they don’t cause you to exceed your daily carb allotment.

Potential downsides

Walnuts and almonds share some potential downsides, including their allergenic potential and antinutrient content.

Nut allergies  affect less than 2% of the American population, and reactions to them may range from mild to severe. Regarding walnuts and almonds specifically, they are both allergenic.

However, more people seem to be allergic to walnuts than almonds in the United States. Still, while an almond allergy is rare, allergy to one nut is believed to be a risk factor for developing an allergy to another type of nut.

As for their antinutrient content, walnuts and almonds both contain phytic acid , which is often found in nuts. In fact, nuts are the second phytate-richest food after soy, with a content that ranges from 0.1–9.4%.

Phytic acid is considered an antinutrient because it binds to minerals, such as iron, zinc calcium, magnesium, and manganese, and inhibits their absorption.

Lastly, keep in mind that both nuts’ effects on body weight were studied as components of calorie-controlled diets. However, their high calorie density may lead to weight gain if consumed in large amounts.

SUMMARY

Both nuts may cause allergic reactions, but walnuts are generally more allergenic than almonds. Also, both nuts contain the antinutrient phytic acid.

The bottom line

Both walnuts and almonds  offer numerous health-promoting effects, and adding them to your diet has been proven to be beneficial.

Therefore, choosing a clear winner among them may not be as clear cut as you imagined.

However, when looking for an optimal nut for weight loss and blood sugar control, almonds may be the best choice. In contrast, walnuts may be better for brain health.

Source:Healthline