Know2eat

Butternuts

Juglans cinerea

What butternuts has been studied for

1 association assessed — none with dependable human evidence behind them yet. Strongest first.

  • 1 Insufficient
3 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About butternuts

The oily kernel of the white walnut, a North American relative of the black walnut whose wild populations have been devastated by butternut canker. Rarely sold commercially and mostly foraged. The USDA reference entry is for dried kernels.

Also known as White walnut, Oilnut

Heart Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Insufficient

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Blood lipid profile

Heart Health
Insufficient evidence

There is no human research specific to butternuts. Walnut trials report modest LDL reductions, and butternut has a broadly similar fatty-acid profile, but a compositional resemblance is not evidence and this nut has never been tested.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Ask about Butternuts

Ask about Butternuts

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories612 kcal31%
Protein24.9 g50%
Total fat57 g73%
Carbohydrate12.1 g4%
Fibre4.7 g17%
Water3.34 g—
Fats
Saturated fat1.31 g7%
Monounsaturated fat10.4 g—
Polyunsaturated fat42.7 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)33.7 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A6 µg1%
Vitamin C3.2 mg4%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Thiamin (B1)0.383 mg32%
Riboflavin (B2)0.148 mg11%
Niacin (B3)1.04 mg7%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.633 mg13%
Vitamin B60.56 mg33%
Folate66 µg17%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Minerals
Calcium53 mg4%
Iron4.02 mg22%
Magnesium237 mg56%
Phosphorus446 mg36%
Potassium421 mg9%
Sodium1 mg0%
Zinc3.13 mg28%
Copper0.45 mg50%
Manganese6.56 mg285%
Selenium17.2 µg31%
Other measured compounds
Ash2.73 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Nuts, butternuts, dried (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170570).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

Nothing dependable is recorded about how preparation changes this food’s nutritional properties. Rather than guess, this section stays empty.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Allergy

    Tree nut allergy and walnut cross-reactivity

    Butternut is a Juglans species and cross-reacts with walnut in walnut-allergic people. It is a major-allergen tree nut and a documented cause of anaphylaxis.

  • Worth knowing

    Rancidity

    Butternuts are among the oiliest nuts and their high polyunsaturated content oxidises quickly once shelled. Foraged nuts stored at room temperature go rancid within a few months.

  • Worth knowing

    Juglone in the husk

    The green husk and its staining juice contain juglone, an irritant that discolours skin persistently. Gloves are the standard advice for hulling.