Are Walnuts Keto? Or Should They Be Avoided?

Walnuts are rich in micronutrients, antioxidants, and flavor! They are the perfect addition to pancakes, trail mix, or banana nut bread, but what if you’re on a low-carb diet? Are walnuts keto? Or do you have to avoid them?

Walnut Nutrition Information

1 oz of walnuts contains 185 calories, 18.5g of fat, 4.31g of protein, 3.88g of total carbohydrates, and 1.9g of dietary fiber. ^[1]

Walnuts also contain 27.8mg of calcium, 98.1g of phosphorous, 44.8mg magnesium, and 27.8 mg folate. ^[1]

Are Walnuts Keto?

1 oz of walnuts contains 1.98g of net carbs. With less than 2g of net carbs per serving, but 19g of fat and 4g of protein, walnuts are considered keto-friendly. ^[1]

Why You Should Go Nuts Over Walnuts

Walnuts have numerous health benefits. In fact, walnuts have greater amounts of antioxidants than any other nut. Walnuts are high in Vitamin E and polyphenols (plant-based phenols that function as antioxidants). ^[3]

Walnuts may also help with inflammation. Of the 19g of fat per serving, about 3g is from alpha-linoleic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid. ALA has been shown to help reduce inflammation and may even decrease your risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Additionally, walnuts are also high in magnesium and arginine, both of which have been shown to reduce inflammation. ^[4] ^[5]

One polyphenol that walnuts are rich in is known as ellagitannins. Ellagitannins can be converted into urolithins in the gut. Urolithins not only have potent anti-inflammatory properties but have been shown to protect again prostate and breast cancer. ^[6]

Moreover, walnuts have also been shown to be beneficial for male reproductive health. Research suggests that consuming walnuts may help improve sperm health by reducing oxidative damage. ^[7] ^[8]

For a more in-depth look at the health benefits of walnuts, read our article Benefits of Walnuts: 5 Reasons to Eat Walnuts on Keto.

Keto Recipes That Feature Walnuts

Now that you are convinced you should be adding walnuts into your ketogenic diet, here are some tasty keto recipes that feature walnuts:

Do You Enjoy Walnuts on a Keto Diet?

Comment below and share your favorite ketogenic recipes that include walnuts with the community!

Ketogenic.com

At ketogenic.com, we are committed to supporting, inspiring, and educating people on the benefits of living a ketogenic lifestyle. We do this by bringing together the top researchers, practitioners, and thought-leaders who provide resources, experience, and awareness associated around the Ketogenic diet. Utilizing the latest cutting-edge research along with practical experience, the team at ketogenic.com aims to foster awareness, understanding, and connectedness in helping others optimize their life on a ketogenic diet.

References

FoodData Central Search Results. FoodData Central. (n.d.). https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170187/nutrients

Bi D, Zhao Y, Jiang R, et al. Phytochemistry, Bioactivity and Potential Impact on Health of Juglans: the Original Plant of Walnut. Nat Prod Commun. 2016;11(6):869?880.

Yin TP, Cai L, Chen Y, et al. Tannins and Antioxidant Activities of the Walnut (Juglans regia) Pellicle. Nat Prod Commun. 2015;10(12):2141?2144.

Hayes D, Angove MJ, Tucci J, Dennis C. Walnuts (Juglans regia) Chemical Composition and Research in Human Health. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2016;56(8):1231?1241. doi:10.1080/10408398.2012.760516

Akbari, M., Ostadmohammadi, V., Tabrizi, R., Mobini, M., Lankarani, K. B., Moosazadeh, M., Heydari, S. T., Chamani, M., Kolahdooz, F., & Asemi, Z. (2018). The effects of alpha-lipoic acid supplementation on inflammatory markers among patients with metabolic syndrome and related disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutrition & metabolism, 15, 39. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12986-018-0274-y

Sánchez-González C, Ciudad CJ, Noé V, Izquierdo-Pulido M. Health benefits of walnut polyphenols: An exploration beyond their lipid profile. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2017 Nov 2;57(16):3373-3383. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2015.1126218. PMID: 26713565.

Coffua LS, Martin-DeLeon PA. Effectiveness of a walnut-enriched diet on murine sperm: involvement of reduced peroxidative damage. Heliyon. 2017 Feb 20;3(2):e00250. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2017.e00250. PMID: 28239673; PMCID: PMC5318272.

Robbins WA, Xun L, FitzGerald LZ, Esguerra S, Henning SM, Carpenter CL. Walnuts improve semen quality in men consuming a Western-style diet: randomized control dietary intervention trial. Biol Reprod. 2012 Oct 25;87(4):101. doi: 10.1095/biolreprod.112.101634. PMID: 22895856.