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Acorns vs. Chestnut — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison

Article author photo Jack  Yacoubian by Jack Yacoubian | Last updated on April 10, 2023
Medically reviewed by Astghik Grigoryan Article author photo Astghik Grigoryan
Acorns
vs
Chestnut

Summary

Chesnut is richer in potassium, phosphorus, iron, and vitamins B1 and C. They are packed with ellagic and gallic acids, which provide positive health impacts. In comparison, acorns are higher in calories and carbs. They are richer in unsaturated fats, most B complex vitamins, copper, magnesium, and manganese.

Introduction

This article is a comparison between chestnuts and acorns. We will discuss general differences, nutritional content comparisons, and health impacts.

Are acorns and chestnuts the same? This is the most common question related to this topic. The answer is clear. No, they are not the same. Acorns are different from chestnuts; acorns come from the oak tree and are smaller with a lighter color, whereas chestnut comes from the chestnut tree and is larger and has a darker color.

When matured and roasted, chestnuts tend to have a sweeter taste and can be easily eaten. In contrast, acorns contain tannins which give acorns a bitter taste.

Now that we answered the main question about the difference between chestnuts and acorns, we can discuss their nutritional content differences and health impacts.

Nutritional content comparison

In this section, we will compare 100g of each nut.

Calories

Acorns contain nearly 2.7 times more calories compared to chestnuts. Acorns contain 387 calories per 100g, whereas chestnut contains 131 calories per 100g.

Carbs

Acorns contain a higher amount of carbs compared to chestnuts. Acorn contains nearly 40g of carbs, whereas chestnut contains 27g.

Proteins

Considerably, acorns are richer in proteins compared to chestnuts. Acorns contain 6g of protein compared to 2g in chestnuts.

Fats

Acorns are much higher in fats compared to chestnuts. Chestnut contains low amounts of fats, considerably negligible. However, acorns are high in fats, mostly in unsaturated forms.

Minerals

Chestnut is richer in potassium, phosphorus, and iron. In comparison, acorns are richer in manganese, magnesium, and copper.

They are packed with minerals; in the diagram below, we can visualize their difference.

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Acorns
5
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 44% 12% 48% 30% 207% 14% 34% 0% 174% 0%
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 39% 14% 63% 65% 157% 6.8% 42% 3.5% 111% 0%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +14.8%
Contains more CopperCopper +31.6%
Contains more ZincZinc +104%
Contains less SodiumSodium -100%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +56.6%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +12.2%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +32.7%
Contains more IronIron +119%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +25.3%
~equal in Selenium ~µg

Vitamins

Acorns are richer in vitamins B2, B3, B5, B6, and folate. In comparison, chestnuts are richer in vitamins B1 and C.

Both their vitamin profiles are rich, and we can see their comparative distribution in the diagrams below.

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Acorns
6
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 0% 0.67% 0% 0% 28% 27% 34% 43% 122% 0% 0% 65% 0%
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 89% 0.33% 0% 0% 37% 24% 14% 19% 54% 0% 0% 29% 0%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +100%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +13.5%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +149.9%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +126.3%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +126.6%
Contains more FolateFolate +128.9%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +32.1%
~equal in Vitamin E ~mg
~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin K ~µg
~equal in Choline ~mg

Health impacts

In this section, we will focus on the differences each provides regarding their health impacts.

Antioxidative properties

Chestnuts are packed with gallic and ellagic acids, which have antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antineoplastic activities. In addition, ellagic acid has neuroprotective properties. (1) (2)
Although chestnuts are packed with vitamin C, however, during the boiling or roasting process, vitamin C properties are lost because ascorbic acid is heat labile. (3)

Metabolic and cardiovascular health

Section reviewed by cardiologist Astghik Grigoryan Article author photo Astghik Grigoryan

Because the potassium in chestnuts and acorns may decrease arterial blood pressure, eating these foods may reduce the risk of developing arterial hypertension (4).

Chestnuts and acorns have beneficial effects on lipid control. According to this rat study, rats fed chestnut pericarp had significantly lower plasma total cholesterol in comparison to the control group (5). Consuming chestnuts in moderation on a regular basis can help to lower bad cholesterol while increasing good cholesterol, which is important for people with coronary heart disease (6).

Chestnuts are high in vitamin B12, vitamin B6, and folates, all of which may aid in the prevention of various types of heart disease, such as heart attack and stroke (7).

Tannins and iron absorption

Acorns contain higher amounts of tannins compared to chestnuts. However, acorns and chestnuts contain tannins in uncooked forms. Castalgins form chelates with bioavailable iron that we consume and reduce their bioavailability. Thus it is essential not to eat acorns or chestnuts raw. (8)

Digestion

Section reviewed by gastroenterologist Arpi Gasparyan Article author photo Arpi Gasparyan

Acorn extracts have been shown to have beneficial effects on indigestion. One study concluded that after a few months of taking acorn extract, patients experienced improved digestion with reduced epigastric pain and fewer pain episodes. (9)

Allergy

Chestnuts and acorns are tree nuts that can have cross-reactivity in allergic reactions. It is essential to be cautious if you have tree nut allergies. (10)

Article author photo Jack  Yacoubian
Education: Haigazian Medical University
Last updated: April 10, 2023
Medically reviewed by Astghik Grigoryan

Infographic

Acorns vs Chestnut infographic
Infographic link

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Acorns Chestnut DV% diff.
Monounsaturated fat 15.109g 0.476g 37%
Fats 23.86g 1.38g 35%
Vitamin C 0mg 26.7mg 30%
Polyunsaturated fat 4.596g 0.545g 27%
Vitamin B6 0.528mg 0.233mg 23%
Manganese 1.337mg 0.854mg 21%
Copper 0.621mg 0.472mg 17%
Saturated fat 3.102g 0.26g 13%
Calories 387kcal 131kcal 13%
Iron 0.79mg 1.73mg 12%
Folate 87µg 38µg 12%
Protein 6.15g 2g 8%
Vitamin B5 0.715mg 0.316mg 8%
Vitamin B3 1.827mg 0.731mg 7%
Potassium 539mg 715mg 5%
Carbs 40.75g 27.76g 4%
Phosphorus 79mg 99mg 3%
Vitamin B1 0.112mg 0.148mg 3%
Zinc 0.51mg 0.25mg 2%
Magnesium 62mg 54mg 2%
Vitamin B2 0.118mg 0.104mg 1%
Sodium 0mg 27mg 1%
Calcium 41mg 46mg 1%
Net carbs 40.75g 27.76g N/A
Vitamin A 2µg 1µg 0%
Tryptophan 0.074mg 0.022mg 0%
Threonine 0.236mg 0.071mg 0%
Isoleucine 0.285mg 0.079mg 0%
Leucine 0.489mg 0.118mg 0%
Lysine 0.384mg 0.118mg 0%
Methionine 0.103mg 0.047mg 0%
Phenylalanine 0.269mg 0.084mg 0%
Valine 0.345mg 0.112mg 0%
Histidine 0.17mg 0.055mg 0%

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Acorns
4
6% 24% 41% 28%
Protein: 6.15 g
Fats: 23.86 g
Carbs: 40.75 g
Water: 27.9 g
Other: 1.34 g
2% 28% 68%
Protein: 2 g
Fats: 1.38 g
Carbs: 27.76 g
Water: 68.15 g
Other: 0.71 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +207.5%
Contains more FatsFats +1629%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +46.8%
Contains more OtherOther +88.7%
Contains more WaterWater +144.3%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Acorns
2
14% 66% 20%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 3.102 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 15.109 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 4.596 g
20% 37% 43%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 0.26 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 0.476 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.545 g
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +3074.2%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +743.3%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -91.6%

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References

All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

  1. Acorns - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170157/nutrients
  2. Chestnut - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170168/nutrients

All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.