THAT’S NUTS! A handful of nuts a day cuts blood pressure risk by a quarter, new study finds
Date: 04 September 2026
It costs pennies, fits in your palm and could be one of the easiest things you do for your heart. Scientists who pooled data on more than 143,000 people say a daily handful of nuts is linked to a significantly lower risk of high blood pressure – the nation’s number one metabolic killer.
A cheap daily handful of nuts is one of the simplest – and most affordable – things you do for your heart, according to major new research.
Now scientists that have pooled data on more than 143,000 people say a daily handful of nuts is linked to a significantly lower risk of high blood pressure – the UK’s number one metabolic killer.
Those who are exceptionally nutty about nuts are around 16% less likely to develop high blood pressure than those who eat the least, experts found after tracking over 20,000 cases.
A daily handful, about 28 grams, about the size which fits in your palm, was linked to roughly a 20% lower risk of high blood pressure.
But the sweet spot comes at around 30 to 35 grams a day, where the risk is a quarter lower.
But piling your plate still higher didn’t add much extra benefit, so there’s no need to overdo it.
High blood pressure affects more than 1.4 billion people worldwide and is the leading driver of heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease often with no symptoms until it’s too late. With the weekly shop still squeezing budgets, it makes the new study a rare piece of health advice that won’t stretch the purse strings.
At a time when the nation’s health headlines are dominated by pricey weight-loss jabs, it’s a reminder that some of the simplest tools for a healthier heart might already be sitting in the kitchen cupboard – no prescription required.
So what’s going on?
Nuts are packed with heart-friendly unsaturated fats, fibre, potassium and natural plant compounds. They’re also rich in an amino acid the body turns into nitric oxide – a natural chemical that relaxes and widens blood vessels, taking the pressure off. And despite being calorie-dense, nuts are actually linked to lower rates of obesity, another major cause of high blood pressure.
The simplest way in? Swap your mid-afternoon crisps or a biscuit for a small handful of unsalted nuts. Unsalted is the key word… the studies couldn’t tell salted and unsalted apart, and too much salt pushes blood pressure the wrong way, so plain nuts are the way to go.
Michael Metoudi, Registered Dietitian & Research Scientist said,
“These findings as a whole are really encouraging, especially from a public health perspective considering the staggering rise in rates of high blood pressure. This research is an important addition to the existing evidence supporting the health benefits of eating nuts and reinforces the rationale for increasing daily intake”.
The researchers, writing in the British Journal of Nutrition, rated the strength of the evidence as “probable” – a solid grade for this kind of study, though not cast-iron proof. Because the studies tracked people’s real-life habits rather than testing nuts in a lab, they can’t say for certain that the nuts alone did the trick.
Still, the advice lines up with what heart experts already say. Both the American Heart Association and European heart doctors recommend nuts as part of a healthy diet – alongside plenty of fruit, veg, whole grains and beans.
The takeaway – you don’t need a supplement, a punishing fad diet or a pricey subscription. A daily handful of plain nuts – almonds, walnuts, cashews, whatever you fancy – could be a cheap, easy win your heart will thank you for.
Notes for editors:
Plant-Based Health Professionals UK is a non-profit organisation dedicated to improving human and planetary health through evidence-based whole-food plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine. By educating healthcare professionals and the public, it supports the prevention and management of chronic disease while recognising the interconnected health of people, animals, and the environment.
Journal: British Journal of Nutrition
For more information please e-mail: media@pbhp.uk