Nuts and seeds are foods we may take for granted, but these small packages are jam-packed with nutrients! Eating just a handful a day has many health benefits, as they contain healthy fats, protein, vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants. The nutrients in nuts and seeds support many aspects of health, such as immune health, heart health, our digestion, our metabolic health as well as supporting our bones and muscles. Whether you eat them on their own, or add them to yoghurt and fruit, or as nut or seed butters, eating these foods regularly will bring many benefits. Here we describe how a daily dose of nuts and seeds can improve your health and provide advice on how to reduce the impact of phytic acid.
The health benefits of nuts and seeds
More and more evidence shows that including nuts and seeds in your diet has many health benefits. The PREDIMED study, 2018 showed eating nuts regularly alongside a healthy Mediterranean-type diet, lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease.
There are several reasons why nuts and seeds are such a good addition to a healthy diet, however, one key reason is that nuts and seeds contain high quantities of important minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper, iron, selenium and calcium as well as a number of other nutrients:
Seeds - 100g of chia, flax, pumpkin, sesame, hemp or poppy seeds (or a mixture of these seeds) provides at least 50% of your daily requirements for magnesium, copper, manganese and phosphorous, whilst contributing substantially to your daily intake of calcium, iron, zinc and potassium.
Nuts – including 100g of nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts or pistachios in your daily diet is likely to ensure you meet at least 50% of your requirements for copper and manganese and will go a long way to meeting your daily requirements for phosphorous and magnesium.
Whilst each nut or seed has a different nutrient composition, and a different fatty acid composition, they all have a lot to offer as part of a healthy diet. Nuts and seeds contain essential fatty acids, such as omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, along with fibre and polyphenols, all of which are important for good health.
How nuts and seeds contribute to good health
1. Bones, teeth and muscles
Many of the minerals in nuts and seeds are important for the health of our bones, teeth and muscles. Sesame seeds, for example, are surprisingly one of the best sources of calcium, having nearly 1 gram of calcium per 100g of seeds. Chia seeds and poppy seeds are also very good sources of calcium.
Magnesium and phosphorous are also very important for bones and teeth and many nuts and seeds are rich in both. All seeds, and most nuts will provide a good dose of magnesium and phosphorous, with hemp seeds being particularly rich in both magnesium (700mg/100g) and phosphorous (1650mg/100g). Pumpkin seeds are also a great source of both of these minerals.
Nuts, particularly peanuts, are also a good source of Boron, a micronutrient that appears to be important for making healthy bones
Nuts and seeds are good plant-based sources of protein, which is important for muscle growth, tissue repair, and overall body function, especially for those on a plant-based diet.
2. Immune health
A number of the nutrients found in nuts and seeds, such as zinc and selenium, are important for immune health and wound healing.
Hemp seeds are a great source of zinc, with 100g of hemp providing sufficient to meet your daily requirements. Pumpkin, sesame, poppy seeds and cashew nuts also provide a good dose of zinc.
The very best source of selenium of any foods is Brazil nuts as these contain nearly 2g of selenium per 100g of nuts. Whilst it is good to include some Brazil nuts in your diet, due to the toxicity of selenium at higher doses, you should limit your intake of these nuts to no more than a handful each week.
Nuts and seeds also contain vitamin E and other antioxidants which help reduce oxidative stress, which supports immune function. Sunflower seeds are a particularly good source of vitamin E, as are almonds and hazelnuts.
3. Improved cardio-metabolic health
There is evidence nuts and seeds are beneficial in supporting metabolic health. Nuts may help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the body, as well as improving lipid profiles and glucose and insulin homeostasis, thereby offering protection against the risk of metabolic disease.
Studies have shown that nut consumption can improve glycaemic responses in healthy and diabetic individuals:
Magnesium - nuts and seeds are rich in magnesium, a mineral that plays a role in insulin sensitivity and glucose regulation
Omega-3 Fatty Acids - flax seeds, chia seeds, and walnuts are particularly high in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a type of omega-3 fatty acid that reduces inflammation, lowers triglycerides, and helps prevent heart disease
Polyphenols - nuts like walnuts and seeds like flaxseeds contain polyphenols and other antioxidants that help reduce inflammation in the body, which is linked to various chronic disease
Almonds, pistachios, pecans, and peanuts are all good sources of mono-unsaturated fats, which are considered beneficial in reducing oxidative stress
L-arginine - nuts like walnuts and almonds are rich in L-arginine, an amino acid that improves the flexibility of blood vessels and helps prevent blood clots
Diagram 1: The many ways nuts in which nuts contribute to metabolic health (Khalili, 2022)
From: Khalili L ,et al. Nuts as a Part of Dietary Strategy to Improve Metabolic Biomarkers: A Narrative Review. Front Nutr. 2022 Mar 29;9:881843. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.881843. PMID: 35425791; PMCID: PMC9001892.
4. Improved digestion
The high fibre content of nuts and seeds promotes healthy digestion and can prevent constipation. Chia and flax seeds are particularly good sources of fibre, so including these seeds daily at breakfast, can support good digestive health. Fibre from nuts and seeds can act as a prebiotic, feeding beneficial gut bacteria and promoting a healthy gut microbiome. Fibre gets fermented by our gut microbiota, producing short-chain fatty acids, which are great for our general health, and also protect the health of the gut wall.
Chia seeds have many benefits for digestive health as shown in Diagram 2 below:
Diagram 2: the functional role of chia seeds in the human gastrointestinal tract (Khalid, 2022)
From: Khalid W, et al Chia seeds (Salvia hispanica L.): A therapeutic weapon in metabolic disorders. Food Sci Nutr. 2022 Dec 15;11(1):3-16. doi: 10.1002/fsn3.3035. PMID: 36655089; PMCID: PMC9834868
5. Brain Health and cognitive function
Because nuts like walnuts and pecans are rich sources of antioxidants, these foods may help protect brain cells from oxidative stress and reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases and there is some evidence suggesting a role for nuts in cognitive health. The omega-3 fatty acids found in certain nuts (walnuts) and seeds (flaxseeds, chia seeds) have anti-inflammatory effects that support brain health and cognitive function.
6. Skin Health
Sunflower seeds, almonds and hazelnuts are particularly rich in vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that protects skin from damage caused by free radicals and UV exposure. It also promotes skin elasticity and moisture. Nuts and seeds also contain essential fatty acids, including omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids which help maintain the skin's moisture barrier and reduce inflammation, leading to healthier, more radiant skin.
How to reduce phytic acid in nuts and seeds
Phytic acid, or phytates, found in nuts, seeds, and grains, can bind to essential minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, and zinc, and reduce their absorption in the digestive system. Some nuts and seeds have lower phytic acid content – for example, macadamia nuts, pine nuts, and pecans tend to have lower phytate levels than almonds or walnuts. While phytic acid has antioxidant properties and offers some health benefits, excessive intake may interfere with mineral absorption.
There are several ways to minimise the impact of phytic acid:
Soaking - place the nuts or seeds in a bowl and cover them with water, then add a pinch of salt or add lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Soak for 6-12 hours then rinse them thoroughly.
Sprouting - after soaking, rinse the seeds and allow them to sit in a moist environment, like a sprouting jar or bag, for 1-3 days. Rinse and drain them twice a day to encourage sprouting.
Roasting - roasting nuts and seeds at a low temperatures can help reduce phytic acid, although it’s not as effective as soaking or sprouting. Roasting also improves taste and texture. Spread soaked and rinsed nuts or seeds on a baking sheet and roast in the oven at a low to moderate temperature (about 120-150°C) for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking.
Combining with vitamin C- rich foods - vitamin C improves the absorption of iron and other minerals, helping to counteract the negative effects of phytic acid on mineral absorption. Pair your nuts or seeds with foods rich in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, bell peppers, berries, or tomatoes.
Pairing with probiotic-rich foods - eating nuts and seeds with probiotic-rich foods like yogurt, kefir, or fermented vegetables (like sauerkraut) may help mineral absorption and digestion. The probiotics may help break down phytates and improve gut health.
In summary
Nuts and seeds are packed with nutrients, and including a variety of nuts and seeds regularly in your diet provides numerous health benefits, ranging from heart health to better digestion, improved immune function, and more balanced blood sugar. To maximise the nutrient content of nuts and seeds try soaking, sprouting or roasting them or eat them with vitamin C rich foods or probiotics.
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