Ahead of World Heart Day on 29 September, a new report has found a huge $281 million could be saved each year on health care expenditure for cardiovascular disease (CVD), if every Australian were to eat a daily handful of nuts.

The analysis, by KPMG for Nuts for Life, highlights that the benefits of regular nut intake extend beyond health – alleviating a significant financial burden on public health care expenditure in Australia.

World Heart Day raises awareness of CVD – one of the leading causes of death in Australia, claiming a life every 12 minutes (1) and costing the economy $11.8 billion in 2018-19 (2).

The heart-health benefits of nuts

Decades of research highlights the health benefits of adding a handful of nuts into a daily diet.

As well as being linked with improved weight management (3), a major review, published in 2022, found regular nut consumption could reduce the risk of CVD and the odds of dying from it (4).

It found that eating a handful of nuts a day, compared to eating no nuts, was associated with:

• 21% reduced risk for CVD
• 25% reduced risk for coronary heart disease
• 22% reduce risk of death from CVD.

This backs up the findings of an earlier study, which found people who ate a handful of nuts ≥ 5 times/week were 19% less likely to have a stroke, compared with those who rarely or never ate nuts (5).

Did you know? Despite their heart health benefits, Australians are not consuming enough nuts – with just 2% eating the target of 30g of nuts a day (6). 

Why are nuts so heart healthy?

Nuts are plant-based, whole foods! Most nuts contain these heart-healthy substances:

Unsaturated fats. The ‘good’ mono- and poly-unsaturated fats in nuts can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.

Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s have been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease. Among other things, they help to reduce blood triglycerides levels.

Fibre. All nuts contain fibre, which helps lower blood cholesterol levels by reducing cholesterol re-absorption from the intestine.

Antioxidants. The antioxidants vitamin E, riboflavin, selenium, manganese, copper, zinc and polyphenols are all found in nuts. They protect the body’s cells from damage caused by oxidation (a process linked with the risk of developing heart disease).

Phytosterols. Nuts naturally contain phytosterols, which help lower blood cholesterol by reducing the amount that the body absorbs.

Arginine. The amino acid arginine helps blood vessels remain flexible and less prone to blood clots.

Nuts are also naturally low in saturated fat and sodium, and contain no dietary cholesterol.

A handful of nuts daily, over just four weeks, can drastically improve the blood markers that are linked with heart disease, such as high total cholesterol and high LDL (bad) cholesterol (4).

The bottom line

Eating a handful of nuts is a ‘can-do’ way to help protect your heart. And if you also aim to include enough whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes and healthy fats and oils in your diet too, your risk can be reduced even further.

So, as part of your healthy living goals this World Heart Day (and beyond!), enjoy a healthy handful (30g) of nuts. You’ll be doing your part towards saving public health care costs in Australia too!

Did you know? The traditional Mediterranean way of eating, which is based around plenty of plant-based foods, including nuts, is considered to be one of the healthiest in the world.

Try this heart-healthy recipe: