The Study:
- Nuts have long been called heart-healthy, and this study was the largest ever done on whether eating them affects mortality. 119,000 men and woman were tracked.
-
Scientists at the Harvard-affiliated Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and the Harvard School of Public Health. The report was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
the Findings:
- People who ate a handful of nuts every day were 20 % less likely to die over a 30 year period than those who never ate nuts
- Eating nuts more often appeared to lower the death risk, in direct proportion to consumption.
- The risk of dying of heart disease dropped 29% and the risk of dying of cancer fell 11% among those who had nuts seven or more times a weekcompared to those who never ate them
- Nut eaters stayed slimmer. "There is a general perception if you eat more nuts you're going to get fat. Our results show the opposite." Dr. Bao
- The reduction in mortality was similar both for peanuts (a legume, or ground nut) and for tree nuts - walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, macadamias, pecans, pistachios, and pine nuts
- Several previous studies had found an association between increasing nut consumption and a lower risk of diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, colon cancer, gallstones, and diverticulitis. Higher nut consumption also has been linked to reductions in cholesterol levels, oxidative stress, inflammation, adiposity, and insulin resistance.