Almonds and pumpkin seeds: trials for one, minerals for the other

A meta-analysis of 36 randomized trials in 2485 adults without heart disease found almonds lowered LDL cholesterol by 5.1 mg/dL (95% CI 2.9 to 7.3; metric: 0.132 mmol/L, 0.075 to 0.190) and ApoB by 4.55 mg/dL. The trials used 25 to 168 g a day over 4 to 72 weeks, and some were paid for by industry. The EU did not authorize a claim that a 28 g daily handful helps keep cholesterol healthy, meaning the evidence fell short when it was assessed. Pumpkin seeds have almost no trials. The one we have is a single meal in 15 adults with normal blood sugar, where 2.3 oz (65 g) of seeds cut the glucose rise after a high carbohydrate meal by about 35 percent. Where pumpkin seeds win is the lab analysis. Per 100 g raw they hold about 500 mg of magnesium against 258 mg in raw almonds, 8.4 mg of iron against 3.7, and 6.3 mg of zinc against 2.9.

How much is actually in it

• Raw pumpkin seeds hold about 500 mg magnesium, 6.3 mg zinc and 8.4 mg iron per 3.5 oz (100 g), roughly twice the magnesium of raw almonds. — Raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas), 8 analyzed samples, per 3.5 oz (100 g) (n = 8) Evidence E source
  Mg 499.7 mg (468.5-511.0), Zn 6.341 mg (4.34-10.0), Fe 8.363 mg (7.84-9.42), protein 29.9 g, fat 40.03 g
• Raw almonds hold about 258 mg magnesium, 21.5 g protein, 51 g fat and 10.8 g fiber per 3.5 oz (100 g). — Raw whole almonds, 8 analyzed samples, per 3.5 oz (100 g) (n = 8) Evidence E source
  Mg 257.6 mg (238.5-271.0), protein 21.45 g, fat 51.09 g (46.45-54.11), fiber 10.78 g (10.0-11.6), Fe 3.741 mg, Zn 2.865 mg
• Dry roasted salted almonds carry about 19 mg vitamin E per 3.5 oz (100 g), ranging from 16 to 21.8 mg between samples. — Dry roasted almonds with salt, 8 samples for vitamin E, per 3.5 oz (100 g) (n = 8) Evidence E source
  Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 19.0 mg (16.0-21.8)

What a real portion looks like

• A standard serving of either almonds or shelled pumpkin seeds is 1 oz (28 g), and a cup weighs about 5 oz (141 g) for almonds and 144 g for pumpkin seeds. — US survey household measures Evidence E source
  1 oz = 28 g both, 1 cup = 141 g almonds, 144 g shelled pumpkin seeds

What your body absorbs

• In a 23-week crossover trial in 20 women, a daily 1440 kJ serving of almonds for 10 weeks did not change body weight, partly because not all almond energy was absorbed. — Healthy women, almonds daily for 10 weeks without dietary advice (n = 20) Evidence B source
  No change in body weight, measurable inefficiency of energy absorption (P < 0.05)
• A systematic review of 21 studies reports raw almonds yield about 18.5 kJ/g of metabolizable energy, below label factors, with more absorbed from butter than roasted than raw nuts. — Human and in vitro studies of tree nuts and peanuts Evidence C source
  ME 18.5 kJ/g raw almonds, order of ME: flour > chopped > whole, butter > roasted > raw

What cooking and storage change

• Mostly laboratory data suggest heat may reduce the allergenicity of the PR-10 protein in almond, while other nut allergens stay heat stable. — 32 studies, mostly in vitro, on processed tree nuts Evidence D source
  PR-10 reduced by thermal processing, nsLTPs and seed storage proteins heat stable

What it does to your health

• A meta-analysis of 36 RCTs in 2485 adults found eating almonds lowered LDL cholesterol by 5 mg/dL (0.13 mmol/L) and ApoB by 4.6 mg/dL. — Adults without cardiovascular disease, trials of at least 4 weeks (n = 2485) Evidence A source
  LDL-C -5.1 mg/dL (95% CI -7.3 to -2.9; metric: -0.132 mmol/L, -0.190 to -0.075), ApoB -4.552 mg/dL (95% CI -6.460 to -2.645)
• A meta-analysis of 37 RCTs found almonds lowered body weight by 0.99 lb (0.45 kg) and fat mass by 1.5 lb (0.66 kg) versus control. — Adults in 37 RCTs with 43 treatment arms Evidence A source
  Weight -0.99 lb (95% CI -1.9 to -0.11; metric: -0.45 kg, -0.85 to -0.05), fat mass -1.5 lb (95% CI -2.6 to -0.37; metric: -0.66 kg, -1.16 to -0.17)
• A meta-analysis of 8 trials in 424 adults found more than 2.1 oz (60 g) of almonds a day lowered the oxidative stress marker MDA, with very high heterogeneity. — Adults in 5 RCTs and 3 crossover trials, 4-24 weeks, 5-168 g/day (n = 424) Evidence A source
  MDA WMD -0.46 (p = 0.002), 8-OHdG WMD -5.83, SOD +2.02 at >60 g/day, I2 92-96%
• In a randomized crossover trial in 15 normoglycemic adults, adding 2.3 oz (65 g) of pumpkin seeds to a high-carbohydrate meal cut the post-meal glucose response by about 35 percent. — Normoglycemic adults, single test meals on 3 nonconsecutive days (n = 15) Evidence B source
  Glucose iAUC about -35% vs control (P = .025)

Safety, limits and interactions

• A systematic review of 36 studies found challenge-confirmed tree nut allergy in under 2 percent of people. — Population studies of children and adults, 1996-2014 Evidence C source
  Challenge-confirmed prevalence <2%, probable 0.05-4.9%
• A case report describes oxalate kidney damage in a woman eating five handfuls of almonds and six tablespoons of chia seeds daily. — 59-year-old woman with hypertension (n = 1) Evidence D source
  Creatinine rose from 1.3 to 1.8 mg/dL, calcium oxalate deposits on biopsy, improved on low-oxalate diet

What people believe that the data does not support

• The EU did not authorize the claim that a daily 28 g handful of almonds helps maintain healthy blood cholesterol. — EU health claims register Evidence E source
  Status: Non-authorized

Who this works differently for

• In people with existing cardiovascular disease, a meta-analysis of 5 RCTs with 439 patients found nuts including almonds did not change blood lipids apart from the atherogenic index. — Adults with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, median 30 g nuts a day for 6-12 weeks (n = 439) Evidence A source
  Atherogenic index MD -0.32 (95% CI -0.58 to -0.06), other lipids unchanged
• In a trial in 20 Thai boys aged 2 to 7 from a bladder stone area, pumpkin seeds at 60 mg/kg a day lowered calcium oxalate crystals in urine. — Boys aged 2-7 in a hyperendemic bladder stone area of Thailand (n = 20) Evidence B source
  Lower calcium oxalate crystal occurrence and urinary calcium, higher phosphorus and pyrophosphate
• In a clinic series of 25 children with pumpkin seed allergy, 64 percent had anaphylaxis and most also reacted to tree nuts or other seeds. — Children at a Turkish tertiary allergy clinic, 2016-2024 (n = 25) Evidence C source
  Anaphylaxis 64%, tree nut co-allergy 76%, other seeds 72%

The bottom line

That zinc figure swung from 4.34 to 10.0 mg across 8 samples. We found no study of how much of the zinc or iron in pumpkin seeds the body absorbs, and no trial comparing the two foods head to head. A standard serving of either is 1 oz, 28 g. Almonds do not deliver all their calories. Across 37 trials, eating them came with body weight 0.99 lb (0.45 kg) lower (95% CI 0.05 to 0.85) and fat mass 1.5 lb (0.66 kg) lower, at moderate certainty, and more clearly at 50 g a day or more for at least 12 weeks. In 20 women who added 1440 kJ of almonds a day for 10 weeks, weight did not change, mostly because they ate less of other foods, and part of the almond energy was not absorbed. A review of 21 studies of mixed design puts raw almonds at about 18.5 kJ per gram actually available, with more energy reaching you from almond butter than roasted nuts, and from roasted than raw. Dry roasted salted almonds carry about 19 mg of vitamin E per 3.5 oz (100 g), 16 to 21.8 across samples. Above 60 g a day, almonds lowered the oxidative stress marker MDA in 8 trials of 424 adults, with heterogeneity up to 96 percent on a lab marker. In 439 people who already had heart disease, about 1.1 oz (30 g) of mixed nuts a day for 6 to 12 weeks left blood lipids unchanged except the atherogenic index, down 0.32. Allergy is the real caution. Challenge-confirmed tree nut allergy affects under 2 percent of people, and only 7 of 36 prevalence studies used that test. At a Turkish clinic, 64 percent of 25 children with pumpkin seed allergy had anaphylaxis, 76 percent also reacted to tree nuts and 72 percent to other seeds. Mostly laboratory data suggest heat may weaken one almond allergen, PR-10, while the other nut allergens studied stayed heat stable. One 59-year-old woman who ate five handfuls of almonds and six tablespoons of chia seeds daily developed calcium oxalate deposits in her kidneys, and her creatinine rose from 1.3 to 1.8 mg/dL before a low oxalate diet helped. That is a single case at a very large intake. In a 1987 trial in 20 Thai boys aged 2 to 7 from a bladder stone area, pumpkin seeds at 60 mg/kg a day lowered calcium oxalate crystals in urine compared with orthophosphate supplements.

Sources

1. aps-daily-r5-01 · Food composition dataset
   Seeds, pumpkin seeds (pepitas), raw, Foundation: Magnesium, Mg 499.7 MG (468.5-511.0); Zinc, Zn 6.341 MG (4.34-10.0); Iron, Fe 8.363 MG (7.84-9.42); Protein 29.9079 G; Total lipid (fat) 40.03 G per 100 g, samples 8
   USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30 · checked 2026-09-30
2. aps-daily-r5-02 · Food composition dataset
   Nuts, almonds, whole, raw, Foundation: Magnesium, Mg 257.6 MG (238.5-271.0); Protein 21.45038 G; Total lipid (fat) 51.09 G (46.45-54.11); Fiber, total dietary 10.78 G (10.0-11.6); Iron, Fe 3.741 MG; Zinc, Zn 2.865 MG per 100 g, samples 8
   USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30 · checked 2026-09-30
3. aps-daily-r5-03 · Food composition dataset
   Nuts, almonds, dry roasted, with salt added, Foundation: Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 19.0 MG (16.0-21.8) per 100 g, samples 8
   USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30 · checked 2026-09-30
4. aps-daily-r5-04 · Food composition dataset
   Almonds, unroasted, fdc_id 2707486: 1 oz 28 g; 1 cup 141 g. Pumpkin seeds, unsalted, fdc_id 2707581: 1 oz, without shell 28 g; 1 cup, without shell 144 g
   USDA FoodData Central survey (FNDDS) 2024-10-31, fdc_id 2707486 and 2707581 · checked 2026-09-30
5. aps-daily-r5-09 · Randomized crossover trial
   Ten weeks of daily almond consumption did not cause a change in body weight. This was predominantly due to compensation for the energy contained in the almonds through reduced food intake from other sources. Moreover, inefficiency in the absorption of energy from almonds was documented (P < 0.05).
   Br J Nutr, 2007 · checked 2026-09-30
6. aps-daily-r5-10 · Systematic review
   ME was influenced by nut type (ME = 22.6 kJ/g for pistachios; ME = 18.5 kJ/g for raw almonds), physical form (flour > chopped > whole nuts), heat processing (butter > roasted > raw) and dose of consumption.
   Adv Nutr, 2023 · checked 2026-09-30
7. aps-daily-r5-17 · Systematic review
   Thermal processing may reduce allergenicity of PR-10 proteins in hazelnut and almond, in contrast to nsLTPs and seed storage proteins.
   Allergy, 2013 · checked 2026-09-30
8. aps-daily-r5-05 · Meta-analysis of RCTs
   Almond consumption significantly reduced LDL-C (-0.132 mmol/L; 95% CI: -0.190, -0.075 mmol/L; p < 0.001), TC (-0.160 mmol/L; 95% CI: -0.218, -0.101 mmol/L; p < 0.001), non-HDL-C (-0.204 mmol/L; 95% CI: -0.281, -0.127 mmol/L; p < 0.001), TC:HDL-C (-0.154; 95% CI: -0.246, -0.063; p = 0.001), LDL-C:HDL-C (-0.112; 95% CI: -0.199, -0.026; p = 0.011), ApoB (-4.552 mg/dL; 95% CI: -6.460, -2.645 mg/dL; p < 0.001), and ApoB:ApoA (-0.027; 95% CI: -0.046, -0.008; p = 0.006)
   Nutrients, 2025 · checked 2026-09-30
9. aps-daily-r5-06 · Meta-analysis of RCTs
   Pooled effect sizes indicated a significant reducing effect of almond consumption on body weight (WMD: -0.45 kg, 95% CI: -0.85, -0.05, p = 0.026), WC (WMD: -0.66 cm, 95% CI: -1.27, -0.04, p = 0.037), FM (WMD: -0.66 kg, 95% CI: -1.16, -0.17, p = 0.009), and hunger score (WMD: -1.15 mm, 95% CI: -1.98, -0.32, p = 0.006) compared with the control group.
   Obes Rev, 2024 · checked 2026-09-30
10. aps-daily-r5-07 · Meta-analysis of RCTs
    Almond doses of > 60 g/day significantly reduced MDA (WMD = -0.46, p = 0.002), 8-OHdG (WMD = -5.83, p < 0.001), and UA (WMD = -0.64, p = 0.009), while increasing SOD (WMD = 2.02, p = 0.008).
    Sci Rep, 2025 · checked 2026-09-30
11. aps-daily-r5-11 · Randomized crossover trial
    Glucose iAUC was significantly lower in P compared with C (reduction of ~35%, P = .025).
    Nutr Res, 2018 · checked 2026-09-30
12. aps-daily-r5-14 · Systematic review
    Challenge-confirmed IgE-mediated tree nut allergy prevalence was less than 2 % (although only seven studies used this gold standard) while probable tree nut allergy prevalence ranged from 0.05 to 4.9 %.
    Curr Allergy Asthma Rep, 2015 · checked 2026-09-30
13. aps-daily-r5-16 · Case report
    Diet included six tablespoons of chia seeds and five handfuls of almonds daily to manage IBS symptoms.
    BMJ Case Rep, 2020 · checked 2026-09-30
14. aps-daily-r5-13 · EU claims register
    POL-HC-6583 Almonds Consuming a handful (28 grams) of almonds a day as part of a diet low in saturated fat, helps to maintain healthy blood cholesterol and promotes a healthy heart Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-6583, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-09-30
15. aps-daily-r5-08 · Meta-analysis of RCTs
    Compared to nut-free diets, nut intake did not have a statistically significant effect on lipid profile biomarkers, except on the atherogenic index (MD: -0.32 [95% CI -0.58 to -0.06], I2 = 0% - moderate certainty of the evidence).
    Eur J Nutr, 2024 · checked 2026-09-30
16. aps-daily-r5-12 · Randomized controlled trial
    Pumpkin seeds lowered calcium-oxalate crystal occurrence and calcium level but increased phosphorus, pyrophosphate, glycosaminoglycans, and potassium values in urine as compared with orthophosphate supplementation.
    Am J Clin Nutr, 1987 · checked 2026-09-30
17. aps-daily-r5-15 · Case series
    Twenty-five children (76% boys) were identified, with a median diagnosis age of 2.98 years. Immediate reactions were universal, and anaphylaxis occurred in 64%.
    Allergy Asthma Proc, 2026 · checked 2026-09-30