Nutrition Diet: Which Nuts Are Cooling for Your Body?

October 7, 2025 •

4 min read

According to ancient Ayurvedic principles, foods are classified as having either a heating or cooling effect on the body's metabolism. Understanding which nuts are cooling can help you create a more balanced diet, especially during warmer weather or for managing internal body heat.

Quick Summary

This article explores the concept of 'cooling' nuts from a nutritional perspective, highlighting how preparation methods like soaking can influence their properties. It identifies specific nuts and seeds known for their cooling effects and offers guidance on incorporating them into a diet for better balance and wellness.

Key Points

Soaking Converts Heating Nuts: Soaking nuts like almonds and walnuts overnight and peeling the skin can transform them into a cooling food by removing heat-inducing properties and improving digestibility.
Coconut is Naturally Cooling: All forms of coconut—water, milk, and flesh—are excellent natural coolants for the body, offering hydration and a soothing effect.
Mindful Consumption is Recommended: Nuts typically considered warming, such as cashews and pistachios, should be consumed in moderation, especially in hot weather, to avoid increasing internal body heat.
Sabja Seeds are Potent Coolants: Basil seeds (sabja) and other cooling seeds can be soaked in water to create a gel-like drink that provides natural and effective cooling relief.
Combine with Other Cooling Foods: For a balanced, cooling diet, pair prepared nuts with other hydrating and low-thermogenic foods like watermelon, cucumbers, and leafy greens.

Understanding 'Heating' and 'Cooling' Foods

The classification of foods as "heating" or "cooling" is central to traditional medicine systems like Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It doesn't refer to the physical temperature of the food but rather its thermogenic effect—how the body processes and metabolizes it. Heating foods, such as most nuts in their raw or roasted form, require more energy to digest, which can increase metabolic activity and, consequently, body temperature. Conversely, cooling foods have a soothing, calming effect on the body and often aid hydration.

The Role of Preparation: Soaking for a Cooling Effect

For many nuts, their intrinsic properties can be altered by how they are prepared. Soaking is a key practice for converting many traditionally heating nuts into cooling ones. The process involves submerging the nuts in water, typically overnight. This practice has several benefits:

Reduces 'Heating' Properties: Soaking can reduce the heat-inducing properties of nuts like almonds and walnuts, making them suitable for warmer months.
Improves Digestibility: Soaking softens the nuts and helps break down phytic acid and tannins, which are compounds that can interfere with nutrient absorption and make digestion harder.
Enhances Nutrient Absorption: By reducing phytic acid, soaking allows the body to absorb more of the nuts' beneficial vitamins and minerals.

Which Nuts Are Cooling? A Detailed Look

While many nuts are considered warming, with proper preparation, you can enjoy their nutritional benefits without increasing body heat. Here’s a breakdown of nuts and seeds from a cooling perspective.

Naturally Cooling Options

Soaked and Peeled Almonds: When almonds are soaked overnight and their skin (which contains tannins) is removed, their heating properties are diminished, and they become a cooling food. The resulting softened nuts are easier to digest and gentler on the stomach.
Coconut: The versatile coconut, in its many forms, is celebrated for its natural cooling properties. Coconut water is a natural electrolyte, while coconut flesh and coconut milk have a hydrating, cooling effect.
Sabja (Basil) Seeds: While technically not a nut, these seeds are famously used as a body coolant. When soaked, they swell to form a gel-like texture and are added to drinks to reduce body heat and aid digestion.
Fox Nuts (Makhana): These edible seeds are used in Ayurvedic medicine for their cooling properties. They are light and easy to digest, making them an excellent summer snack.

Moderating Warming Nuts

Many other popular nuts are typically considered warming, but can be consumed in moderation, especially if soaked, to reduce their effect on body temperature.

Walnuts: Rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, walnuts are normally heating. However, similar to almonds, soaking them overnight can mitigate this effect, making them more suitable for summer consumption.
Cashews: Cashews are heavy and warming due to their density and fat content. Overconsumption can lead to digestive discomfort in hot weather. To minimize the heating effect, soak them for a few hours before eating and consume in small quantities alongside other cooling foods.
Pistachios: Considered warming, pistachios are still a good source of antioxidants. Like other warming nuts, moderation is key to enjoying their benefits without unbalancing body heat.

Cooling vs. Warming Nuts: A Comparison Table


Food Item	Typical Nature	Best Preparation for Cooling Effect
Almonds	Warming (with skin)	Soaked overnight, skin peeled
Coconut	Cooling	All forms: water, milk, or flesh
Walnuts	Warming	Soaked overnight
Cashews	Warming	Soaked, eaten in moderation
Pistachios	Warming	Moderate consumption
Peanuts	Neutral	Moderate consumption, unsalted

Incorporating Cooling Nuts and Seeds into Your Diet

There are numerous delicious ways to add cooling nuts and seeds to your daily meals, helping you stay refreshed and energized.

Smoothies: Blend soaked almonds or coconut milk into your morning smoothies for a creamy, nutritious, and cooling base. Pair them with other cooling fruits like watermelon, melon, or berries.
Soaked Snacks: A handful of soaked and peeled almonds or walnuts makes for a simple, hydrating snack that can be enjoyed any time of day.
Summer Salads: Sprinkle chopped soaked nuts or toasted peanuts over fresh, hydrating salads with leafy greens and cucumber for added crunch and flavor.
Infused Water: Add soaked basil (sabja) seeds to a glass of water with mint and lemon for a naturally refreshing and hydrating drink.
Cooling Desserts: Create healthy, cooling treats by using coconut milk as a base or incorporating soaked dates and figs for natural sweetness.

Beyond Nuts: Other Cooling Foods

To further support a cooling diet, consider incorporating other foods known for their low thermogenic effect and high water content. These include cucumbers, watermelon, leafy greens, curd/yogurt, and citrus fruits. Additionally, cooling spices and herbs such as fennel seeds, coriander, cumin, and mint can be added to your cooking and drinks.

The Nutritional Benefits of a Balanced Diet

Integrating nuts and seeds into your diet, prepared for their cooling properties, offers more than just temperature regulation. Their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties help the body fight oxidative stress, which can be exacerbated by excessive heat. Nuts are packed with essential vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, protein, and fiber, contributing to heart health, energy levels, and overall wellness. A balanced diet, conscious of these food properties, supports the body's natural functions and helps maintain equilibrium.

Conclusion: Balance is Key

While many nuts are nutrient powerhouses, their heating properties can sometimes be a concern, especially during hot weather. However, by understanding how to prepare them through methods like soaking, you can effectively transform them into cooling, easily digestible snacks. Focus on naturally cooling options like coconut and soaked almonds, and remember that moderation is crucial for more warming varieties like cashews and pistachios. Balancing your nut intake with other hydrating foods is an effective strategy for maintaining your body's comfort and well-being year-round. Remember to listen to your body and adjust your diet as needed for optimal health. For further reading, explore articles on nutritional science and traditional medicine practices to deepen your understanding of food energetics.

Frequently Asked Questions

For summer, soaked and peeled almonds, coconut in any form (water, milk, or flesh), and soaked walnuts are excellent choices due to their cooling properties. For seeds, consider sabja (basil seeds).

Soaking nuts helps to break down tannins and phytic acid in the outer skin and shell. This process makes the nuts easier to digest and reduces the metabolic effort required, which in turn reduces their inherent heat-inducing properties.

No, not all nuts are strictly heating. The effect depends on the nut and its preparation. Peanuts are often considered neutral, while soaking can convert normally warming nuts like almonds and walnuts into cooling ones.

When almonds are eaten unsoaked and with their skin, they have a heating effect on the body. Soaking them overnight and peeling the skin makes them cooling and easier to digest.

Cashews are considered a warming food and are best eaten in moderation during the summer. You can also soak them for a few hours to help reduce their heating effect, and consume them alongside other cooling foods.

Many water-rich fruits and vegetables are excellent coolants, including cucumber, watermelon, melons, and leafy greens. Dairy products like yogurt, as well as seeds like basil seeds (sabja) and spices like fennel and coriander, are also known for their cooling properties.

Roasting nuts can enhance their flavor, but it does not significantly change their fundamental heating or cooling properties as defined by traditional medicine systems. Raw nuts and roasted nuts are both typically considered heating.