Pine nuts: a dense handful, and appetite trials that used the oil

The pine nut research quoted for appetite was done with an oil concentrate made from Korean pine nuts. In a double-blind crossover trial in 42 overweight women, 2 g of the fatty acids from a branded oil product, taken once 30 minutes before a buffet lunch, cut the amount eaten by 9 percent against olive oil. In a second trial in 18 overweight post-menopausal women, 3 g of the same kind of fatty acids in capsules raised the satiety hormone CCK by 60 percent over 4 hours, a result about hormones and hunger ratings with no weight measured. We did not find a trial of whole pine nuts on their own. The nut itself is dense. A 28 g handful, the default amount in the US survey tables, gives about 188 calories and 19 g of fat, and raw kernels in 8 US samples carry about 10 mg of manganese per 3.5 oz (100 g) with little spread.

The numbers, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• Raw pine nuts average 61.3 g fat, 1.12 mg copper and 10.3 mg manganese per 3.5 oz (100 g), with little spread across US samples. — USDA Foundation samples (n = 8-9 samples) Evidence E source
  Fat 61.27 g (60.41-63.88, 9 samples); copper 1.119 mg (1.07-1.16, 8 samples); manganese 10.25 mg (9.79-10.6, 8 samples) per 3.5 oz (100 g)

What a real portion looks like

• A 28 g handful of pine nuts gives about 188 calories, 19 g fat, 3.8 g protein and 70 mg magnesium, and a 135 g cup gives about 908 calories. — US survey food codes Evidence E source
  Per 100 g 673 calories; 28 g: 188.4 calories, 19.1 g fat, 3.8 g protein, 70.3 mg magnesium, 0.4 mg copper; 135 g cup: 908.5 calories

What cooking and storage change

• By the USDA table for roasted nuts, roasting keeps all the copper, magnesium, zinc and iron but about 85% of thiamin and 80% of folate. — USDA retention factors, Nut and Seed Products group Evidence E source
  Retained: copper, magnesium, zinc, iron 100%; thiamin 85%; folate 80%; riboflavin, niacin, B6 95%

What it does to your health

• In a crossover trial in 9 overweight adults, 6 g of hydrolyzed pine nut oil in delayed-release capsules raised GLP-1 by about 30-50% during a glucose test without changing blood glucose or insulin. — 9 overweight or obese adults aged 40-70, single test days (n = 9) Evidence B source
  GLP-1 AUC +30-50% vs no oil (p < 0.01); no differences in glucose, insulin or C-peptide AUC
• Observational data from 10,347 Korean adults link eating nuts at least once a week (about 15 g a week) with about 26-28% lower incidence of hypertension. — 10,347 Korean adults aged 40+, 44,614 person-years (n = 10,347) Evidence C source
  IRR 0.74 (95% CI 0.58-0.96) men; IRR 0.72 (95% CI 0.59-0.88) women

Safety, limits and interactions

• In a series of 6 patients, a metallic taste began within 48 hours of eating pine nuts and cleared on its own within 14 days in all but one. — 6 patients (n = 6) Evidence C source
  Onset within 48 h; resolved within 14 days in 5 of 6
• A US retail survey found no Salmonella in 500 samples of raw shelled pine nuts, against 0.44% of all 3,374 tree nut samples. — 3,374 raw tree nut samples from US retail, 2015-2017 (n = 3,374) Evidence C source
  Pine nuts 0 of 500; all nuts 15 of 3,374 (0.44%, 95% CI 0.25-0.73)

What people believe that the data does not support

• In a double-blind crossover trial in 42 overweight women, 2 g of Korean pine nut oil fatty acids taken 30 minutes before lunch cut food intake by 9% versus olive oil. — 42 overweight women aged 18-64, single test meals (n = 42) Evidence B source
  Food intake -9% (p = 0.036); no effect of the triglyceride form or on appetite ratings
• In a crossover trial in 18 overweight post-menopausal women, 3 g of Korean pine nut fatty acids raised the satiety hormone CCK by 60% over 4 hours and lowered the rated appetite score "prospective food intake" by 36%. — 18 overweight post-menopausal women, single doses, 1-week washout (n = 18) Evidence B source
  CCK-8 +60% (FFA) and +22% (TG) vs placebo (p < 0.01); GLP-1 +25% (p < 0.05); prospective food intake -36% (p < 0.05)
• Pine mouth is a bitter or metallic taste that starts 1 to 3 days after eating affected pine nuts, linked mainly to Chinese white pine (Pinus armandii), and the only remedy described is to stop eating those nuts and wait. — several thousand reported cases Evidence C source
  Taste disturbance 1-3 days after ingestion; toxin not isolated

Who this works differently for

• In a 6-week trial in 60 Korean adults with metabolic syndrome, 30 g a day of mixed walnuts, peanuts and pine nuts improved total and non-HDL cholesterol in women. — 60 Korean adults with metabolic syndrome, 6 weeks (n = 60) Evidence B source
  Total cholesterol P = .023, non-HDL cholesterol P = .016 vs control in women; inflammation and oxidative stress markers unchanged
• A report of 4 atopic children aged 1 to 6 years found IgE-mediated pine nut allergy, with severe systemic reactions in 3 of them. — 4 children aged 12 months to 6 years with atopy (n = 4) Evidence C source
  Severe systemic reactions in 3 of 4; 2 also reacted to other nuts
• Among 27 Korean patients with anaphylaxis from pollen-food allergy syndrome, pine nut was the culprit in 18.5%, after peanut, apple and walnut. — 27 anaphylaxis patients among 273 Korean patients with pollen-food allergy syndrome (n = 273) Evidence C source
  Pine nut 18.5% of anaphylaxis cases

What is still unknown

• UK food tables give pine nut kernels 688 calories, 68.6 g fat and 7.9 mg manganese per 3.5 oz (100 g), more fat and less manganese than the US samples. — UK food composition Evidence E source
  688 calories, fat 68.6 g, protein 14.0 g, magnesium 270 mg, manganese 7.90 mg, zinc 6.5 mg, iron 5.60 mg, vitamin E 13.85 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g)

The bottom line

A 135 g cup carries about 908 calories by the same US survey figures. UK tables put kernels higher, at 688 calories and 68.6 g fat per 3.5 oz (100 g), with less manganese, and neither dataset says which pine species or origin was measured. Roasting keeps all the copper, magnesium, zinc and iron and about 85 percent of the thiamin, by a USDA factor set for nuts as a group and never measured on pine nuts. The health data are about nuts in general or about the oil. Observational data from 10,347 Korean adults aged 40 and over link eating nuts at least once a week, about 15 g, with a 26 to 28 percent lower incidence of hypertension (IRR 0.74, 95% CI 0.58 to 0.96 in men). That association comes from a food questionnaire covering nuts together and cannot be pinned on pine nuts. In 60 Korean adults with metabolic syndrome, 30 g a day of mixed walnuts, peanuts and pine nuts for 6 weeks improved total and non-HDL cholesterol in women, and the abstract gives only P values, so the size of the change is unknown. In 9 overweight adults, 6 g of hydrolyzed pine nut oil in delayed-release capsules raised GLP-1 by about 30 to 50 percent during a glucose test and left blood glucose and insulin unchanged. Pine mouth is the odd risk here. A bitter or metallic taste starts 1 to 3 days after eating affected nuts. A review of case reports links it mainly to Chinese white pine (Pinus armandii), no toxin has been isolated, and there is no proven treatment. In a series of 6 patients the taste began within 48 hours and cleared on its own within 14 days in 5 of them. Allergy can be severe. In a report of 4 atopic children aged 1 to 6, three had severe systemic reactions to pine nut. Among 27 Korean patients with anaphylaxis from pollen-food allergy syndrome, pine nut was the cause in 18.5 percent, a figure that applies only to people with that syndrome. A US retail survey found no Salmonella in 500 samples of raw shelled pine nuts, one set of samples, and a zero there does not promise the next bag is clean. We found no card on pregnancy or on medicines.

Sources

1. pnu-daily-r7-01 · food composition dataset
   Nuts, pine nuts, raw | Total lipid (fat) 61.27 G, range 60.41-63.88, 9 samples | Copper, Cu 1.119 MG, range 1.07-1.16, 8 samples | Manganese, Mn 10.25 MG, range 9.79-10.6, 8 samples
   USDA FoodData Central Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30, Nuts, pine nuts, raw (FDC 2346392) · checked 2026-09-30
2. pnu-daily-r7-03 · food composition dataset
   Pine nuts | Energy 673 KCAL per 100 g | Quantity not specified 28 g 188.4 KCAL, 19.1 G fat, 3.8 G protein, 70.3 MG magnesium | 1 cup 135 g 908.5 KCAL
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, Pine nuts (fdc_id 2707526, FNDDS code 42113000) · checked 2026-09-30
3. pnu-daily-r7-04 · nutrient retention factors
   USDA-RETN-R6:2203 NUTS,ROASTED | copper_mg 100% | magnesium_mg 100% | zinc_mg 100% | iron_mg 100% | thiamin_mg 85% | folate_total_ug 80% | riboflavin_mg 95% | niacin_mg 95% | vitamin_b6_mg 95%
   USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6 (2007), code 2203 NUTS,ROASTED, Nut and Seed Products · checked 2026-09-30
4. pnu-daily-r7-07 · randomized crossover trial
   Hereafter, two additional OGTTs were completed in a randomized order (www.randomizer.org, 2 May 2018) consuming either 6 g of hydrolyzed pine nut oil (PNO-FFA) alone or 3 g hydrolyzed pine nut oil combined with 3 g olive oil (PNO-OO), in both cases together with 160 mL of water 30 min prior to the OGTT. ... There were no significant treatment differences in any of the calculated AUCs of glucose, insulin or C-peptide. ... GLP-1 AUCtotal and all two-hour AUC segments were increased (~30–50%) after PNO-FFA treatment compared to no oil (p < 0.01) (Figure 2A,B).
   Nutrients, 2021 · checked 2026-09-30
5. pnu-daily-r7-09 · prospective cohort
   We identified 2047 incident cases of hypertension during 44,614 person-years of follow-up. Among both men and women, an average nut consumption of ≥ 1 serving/week (15 g/week]) was inversely associated with hypertension incidence (IRR = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.58-0.96, p for trend = 0.013 for men; IRR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.59-0.88, p for trend = 0.002 for women) and these significant associations were consistently observed across the strata of potential confounders.
   Eur J Nutr, 2022 · checked 2026-09-30
6. pnu-daily-r7-11 · case series
   This is a retrospective case series of 6 patients complaining of a bad taste (cacogeusia) specifically metallogeusia, following the ingestion of pine nuts.(1) The taste arose always within 48h of ingestion, and in all but one patient spontaneously resolved within 14 days.
   Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg, 2013 · checked 2026-09-30
7. pnu-daily-r7-14 · prevalence survey
   Of the 3,374 samples, 15 (0.44%) (95% confidence interval [CI] [0.25, 0.73]) were culturally confirmed as containing Salmonella; 17 isolates were obtained. Among these isolates, there were 11 serotypes. Salmonella was not detected in Brazil nuts (296), hazelnuts (487), pecans (510), pine nuts (500), and walnuts (498).
   J Food Sci, 2021 · checked 2026-09-30
8. pnu-daily-r7-05 · randomized crossover trial
   In the current study, the effects of a Korean pine nut oil product, PinnoThin, at doses 2 g, 4 g and 6 g triglyceride (TG) and 2 g free fatty acid (FFA), on food intake and appetite were examined in a cross-over double-blind placebo-controlled randomised counter-balanced design in 42 overweight female volunteers. 2 g FFA PinnoThin, given 30 minutes prior to an ad-libitum buffet test lunch, significantly reduced food intake (gram) by 9% (F(4,164) = 2.637, p = 0.036) compared to olive oil control. No significant effect of PinnoThin on macronutrient intake or ratings of appetite were observed.
   Lipids Health Dis, 2008 · checked 2026-09-30
9. pnu-daily-r7-06 · randomized crossover trial
   A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind cross-over trial including 18 overweight post-menopausal women was performed. Subjects received capsules with 3 g Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) nut FFA, 3 g pine nut TG or 3 g placebo (olive oil) in combination with a light breakfast. ... Over a period of 4 hours the total amount of plasma CCK-8 was 60% higher after pine nut FFA and 22% higher after pine nut TG than after placebo (p < 0.01). For GLP-1 this difference was 25% after pine nut FFA (P < 0.05). Ghrelin and PYY levels were not different between groups. The appetite sensation "prospective food intake" was 36% lower after pine nut FFA relative to placebo (P < 0.05).
   Lipids Health Dis, 2008 · checked 2026-09-30
10. pnu-daily-r7-10 · review of case reports
    A clinically compatible case of PMS must include taste disturbance, usually characterized as bitter or metallic, following the ingestion of affected pine nuts by 1 to 3 days. Affected nuts would appear to include all, or some portion, of nuts harvested from species Pinus armandii (Chinese white pine), but could include nuts from other species. ... There are no proven therapies for PMS.
    Semin Neurol, 2012 · checked 2026-09-30
11. pnu-daily-r7-08 · randomized controlled trial
    Subjects with metabolic syndrome and a body mass index of at least 23 kg/m(2) were randomized to the Control group and the Nut group, which received supplementation with 30 g/d of mixed nuts (walnuts, peanuts, and pine nuts) for 6 weeks. Sixty volunteers were included in the final analysis. ... Total cholesterol and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels significantly improved in the Nut group compared to those in the Control group (P = .023 and P = .016, respectively) in women.
    Nutr Res, 2014 · checked 2026-09-30
12. pnu-daily-r7-12 · case series
    Ages ranged from 12 months to 6 years. All patients had a personal history of atopy. Symptoms on ingesting pine nut were severe systemic reactions in three cases. Two of the children had allergic reactions to other nuts. In all cases, both the skin test and the specific IgE serum test were positive.
    Allerg Immunol (Paris), 1998 · checked 2026-09-30
13. pnu-daily-r7-13 · cross-sectional study
    The most common cause of anaphylaxis in PFAS was peanut (33.3%), apple (22.2%), walnut (22.2%), pine nut (18.5%), peach (14.8%), and ginseng (14.8%).
    Yonsei Med J, 2019 · checked 2026-09-30
14. pnu-daily-r7-02 · food composition dataset
    Pine nuts, kernel only | Energy (kcal) 688 | Fat (g) 68.6 | Protein (g) 14.0 | Magnesium (mg) 270 | Manganese (mg) 7.90 | Zinc (mg) 6.5 | Iron (mg) 5.60 | Vitamin E (mg) 13.85
    CoFID 2021 (Public Health England, OGL v3.0), code 14-839 Pine nuts, kernel only · checked 2026-09-30