Do Nuts Cause Heartburn?
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Can Eating Nuts Give You Heartburn?

Can Eating Nuts Give You Heartburn?
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Updated on July 31, 2025
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You keep peanuts and pistachios at your desk as a way to snack smarter. Or maybe you add a dollop of almond butter to your smoothie every morning. Nuts have a lot of nutrition to offer — but can they also cause heartburn? It’s possible, but it depends on which nuts and how many you eat.

What Is Heartburn?

People typically describe heartburn as a burning pain behind their breastbone. There may also be a bitter or acidic taste in the back of the throat.

Heartburn is caused by acid reflux. That’s when stomach acid, food, or other contents from your stomach move back up into your esophagus (the tube connecting your mouth to your stomach) toward your mouth.

 If you get heartburn more than a few times a week, you may be diagnosed with a condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD.

Nuts and Heartburn

Nuts are powerhouses of healthy fats — the kind that could benefit your heart health.

 But foods high in fats are also known to contribute to acid reflux.

“Fat is one of the triggers to make the bottom sphincter in the esophagus relax and promote a tendency toward reflux,” says C. Prakash Gyawali, MD, a professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. “If a person with reflux disease were to have a big amount of nuts, their esophageal symptoms could potentially worsen temporarily.”

Dr. Gyawali notes that you’d probably have to eat a lot of nuts for this to become a problem. And a large meal of any kind can trigger heartburn. “If somebody ate a full peanut butter sandwich, is it the peanut butter that made them reflux or the volume of the meal? Probably both,” he says. If you frequently have heartburn, Gyawali recommends choosing nuts that are lower in fat, and not eating too many.

Here’s how some popular types of nuts compare in fat content, given in grams of fat per 1 ounce of raw nuts:

  • Cashews, 11.1 grams

  • Pistachios, 12.8 grams

  • Peanuts, 13.8 grams

  • Almonds, 14.6 grams

  • Hazelnuts, 15.3 grams

  • Walnuts, 19.9 grams

  • Pecans, 20.9 grams

Almonds have another property that may make them less likely to worsen reflux symptoms: “They are alkaline; they’re not acidic,” says Gyawali. Their alkaline nature can actually help to neutralize stomach acid and reduce symptoms of heartburn.

Heartburn and Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Nuts can also trigger chest discomfort or pain if you have a condition called eosinophilic esophagitis. This is a rare, chronic condition in which a type of white blood cell called eosinophils builds up in the lining of the esophagus. This leads to inflammation, trouble swallowing, and pain that’s sometimes described as heartburn, says Gyawali.

Because eosinophilic esophagitis is thought to be caused by an immune system or allergic reaction, people who have the condition are often encouraged to try an elimination diet. This means removing major food allergens — including peanuts and tree nuts — from your diet, to help identify which ones trigger your symptoms.

Other Causes of Heartburn

If nuts don’t seem to be the cause of your heartburn, there are other food culprits to consider. Known triggers include:

  • Fried or fatty foods
  • Chocolate
  • Alcohol
  • Coffee (including decaf)
  • Carbonated beverages
  • Tomato sauce
  • Citrus fruits or juices
  • Peppermint
  • Vinegar
Other possible triggers to avoid that aren’t related to specific foods include:

  • Eating large meals
  • Lying down within a few hours after eating
  • Wearing tight clothing that puts pressure on your stomach
  • Taking aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory pain medications
  • Smoking
  • Being overweight

The Takeaway

  • Nuts are nutritious, but they can potentially contribute to heartburn, due to their high fat content.
  • If you have GERD or frequent heartburn, eating nuts in moderation or choosing lower-fat nuts like cashews and pistachios may reduce your risk of triggering symptoms.
  • If you’re experiencing persistent or severe heartburn, it’s important to consult with a healthcare professional for an accurate diagnosis and effective management plan.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). AGA GI Patient Center.
  2. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Mayo Clinic. April 23, 2025.
  3. Nuts and Your Heart: Eating Nuts for Heart Health. Mayo Clinic. November 15, 2023.
  4. GERD Diet: Foods That Help With Acid Reflux (Heartburn). Johns Hopkins Medicine.
  5. Nuts, cashew nuts, raw. U.S. Department of Agriculture. April 20, 2023.
  6. Nuts, pistachio nuts, raw. U.S. Department of Agriculture. April 20, 2023.
  7. Peanuts, raw. U.S. Department of Agriculture. April 20, 2023.
  8. Nuts, almonds, whole, raw. U.S. Department of Agriculture. October 28, 2022.
  9. Nuts, hazelnuts or filberts, raw. U.S. Department of Agriculture. April 20, 2023.
  10. Nuts, walnuts, English, halves, raw. U.S. Department of Agriculture. October 28, 2022.
  11. Nuts, pecans, halves, raw. U.S. Department of Agriculture. October 28, 2022.
  12. Herdiana Y. Functional Food in Relation to Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Nutrients. August 15, 2023.
  13. Eosinophilic Esophagitis. MedlinePlus. May 16, 2024.
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Jennifer Frediani

Jennifer Frediani, PhD, RD

Medical Reviewer

Jennifer K. Frediani, PhD, RD, ACSM-CES, is a nutrition scientist, exercise physiologist, and registered dietitian with over two decades of experience in clinical research, education, and lifestyle intervention. She's an assistant professor, research track, at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University, adjunct faculty in the nutrition and health sciences program at the Rollins School of Public Health, and a member of the Winship Cancer Institute.

Dr. Frediani earned her PhD in nutrition science from Emory University, and a master’s in exercise science and a bachelor’s in nutrition and dietetics from Georgia State University. Her doctoral research focused on body composition and dietary assessment among tuberculosis patients in the Republic of Georgia, and her postdoctoral work explored nutritional influences on pediatric liver disease.

She has published widely in journals such as Nature Scientific Reports, The New England Journal of Medicine, Clinical Nutrition, and Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases.

At Emory, she directs adult clinical studies for the NIH RADx initiative, overseeing trials on novel diagnostics for infectious diseases. She also leads the development of Emory’s fully online master of science in clinical nutrition program, designed to prepare future registered dietitian nutritionists through integrated coursework and supervised experiential learning.

Her research focuses on weight-neutral lifestyle interventions to improve cardiometabolic outcomes, with a special emphasis on dietary assessment, physical activity, and metabolomics.

Frediani’s teaching philosophy centers on creating inclusive, student-driven learning environments that foster critical thinking and professional growth. She is passionate about reducing weight stigma in clinical care and promoting sustainable, individualized approaches to food and movement.

Outside of work, Frediani is an avid runner and food enthusiast who travels the world to explore culinary traditions and cultural foodways. She believes that everyone deserves to enjoy food that nourishes both body and soul — without shame or restriction.

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MaryAnn Fletcher is a health writer and editor who has created content for WebMD, Duke Health, NorthShore University Health System, and StayWell. She lives in North Carolina.

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