Yes, nuts are anti-inflammatory. Nuts contain many bioactive components that may favourably act on inflammation. 

This may partly explain their effect on reducing the risk of diseases that are linked with chronic inflammation (such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease) and, more recently, their positive effect on brain health.

What is inflammation?

Inflammation is the body’s natural response to protect itself against harm.

Acute inflammation occurs, for example, when you cut your finger. Your immune system dispatches white blood cells to surround and protect the area, creating visible redness and swelling. After a short time, the wound heals and inflammation is ‘switched off’. 

Chronic inflammation does not ‘switch off’, instead producing a steady, low-level of inflammation within the body. Low levels of inflammation can get triggered in the body even when there’s no disease to fight or injury to heal. And sometimes, the system can’t shut itself off – resulting in arteries and organs breaking down.

It’s for this reason that chronic inflammation has a role in the development of many diseases. These include Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and even depression.

Nuts and inflammation

Two large studies, involving 5,013 US-based men and women, found frequent nut consumption was associated with a healthy profile of inflammatory markers [1]. Nut consumption at ≥5 times/wk was linked with lower C-reactive protein (CRP) and Interleukin 6 (IL-6) – two inflammatory markers, compared with those who never or almost never are nuts.

In addition, the research found that replacing three servings of red meat, processed meat, eggs, or refined grains per week, with three servings of nuts/week was associated with significantly lower CRP and IL-6.

What makes nuts anti-inflammatory?

Nuts contain a diverse range of macro- and micro-nutrients and other bioactive components, which have been shown to favourably impact inflammation [2-5]. These include: 

• Vitamins and minerals – including vitamin E, riboflavin, selenium, manganese, copper and magnesium 
• Polyphenols – proanthocyanidins, flavonoids, resveratrol 
• Ellagic acid  
• Arginine – an amino acid that increases nitric oxide which helps relax blood vessel walls 
• Carotenoids – pigment colours 
• Dietary fibre
• Mono-unsaturated fats
• Plant omega 3 – alpha linolenic acid (ALA).

These compounds can reduce markers of inflammation naturally found in the body, such as: 

• C-reactive protein (CRP)
• Interleukin 6 (IL-6)
• Fibrinogen 
• Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and Intracellular Adhesion Molecule-1 (ICAM-1) 
• Tumour necrosis factor

A 2021 randomised controlled trial compared the effects of a ‘nut-enriched’ low-calorie diet with a ‘nut-free’ low-calorie diet, on body weight and inflammatory markers. The study involved overweight or obese adults with coronary artery disease [6]. Sixty-seven adults took part in the eight-week study. Participants in both groups lost a similar amount of weight. Only the nut group had improvements in certain inflammatory markers (ICAM-1 and IL-6).