For many people, nuts are a go-to snack to reduce cravings.
But now a major review has found that a daily serving may do more than reduce hunger; it could reduce your risk of suffering from high blood pressure.
Using data from nearly 150,000 people across eight long-term studies, researchers in the UK and Norway evaluated the impact of eating one serving of nuts, roughly how much fits in a palm, on someone’s risk of being diagnosed with high blood pressure.
They found that people who ate 30g of nuts, about 1oz, per day had a 26 percent lower risk of high blood pressure compared to those who did not eat nuts.
And for every 28g of nuts participants ate per day, their risk of high blood pressure dropped by 20 percent.
The study did not examine whether nuts can bring down blood pressure in people who have high blood pressure, but doctors say a healthy diet, regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight can all help to lower blood pressure.
Nuts are a key part of the Mediterranean diet and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, healthy diets which have both been associated with lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
None of the studies specified what kind of nuts the participants were eating, but previous research has found that eating almonds, cashews, walnuts and peanuts, among others, is linked to a lower risk of high blood pressure.
A handful of nuts may be associated with lower blood pressure, a new review suggests
The study did not say whether the nuts were salted. Doctors say consuming more salt raises the risk of the condition.
It also was not clear why eating nuts may reduce the risk, but experts behind the new review suggested the benefits may come from L-arginine in nuts, which the body uses to make nitric oxide, a chemical that helps blood vessels relax and widen.
Fiber in nuts can also be broken down by gut bacteria into byproducts linked to lower blood pressure, while antioxidants reduce inflammation that elevates blood pressure.
The study was observational, meaning it could not prove whether the reduced risk of high blood pressure was down to the consumption of nuts or another factor.
In the new meta-analysis, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, researchers evaluated eight studies involving 143,380 participants, 20,665 of whom were diagnosed with high blood pressure.
Participants were between 18 and 87 years old. There were three studies from the US and one each from France, Spain, South Korea, China and Iran. Six studies included both men and women, while two only featured men.
The researchers found that the highest nut consumption was associated with a 16 percent lower risk of high blood pressure compared to those with the lowest intake.
The researchers also estimated that the blood pressure-lowering benefits from nuts dropped when someone ate 25 grams or less per day. There was also no greater benefit from eating more than 35 grams per day, the scientists said.
The team found no evidence of bias in the research, though the small number of studies is a limitation.
Along with L-arginine and antioxidants, nuts are also rich in protein and nutrients like magnesium and potassium, which have been linked to improved vascular function.
The study does not prove that nuts reduce blood pressure on their own or replace medication, but the experts suggested eating them may additionally bolster existing treatments.
The team suggested opting for unsalted mixed nuts and considering using them as a replacement for processed snacks like potato chips.