MORE ON NUTS

I wrote quite a bit about the benefits of nuts in the past two newsletters. I thought I’d add a little more about this new research.

A large analysis of current research shows that people who eat at least 20 grams of nuts a day have a lower risk of heart disease, cancer and other diseases. Twenty grams is equivalent to a handful of nuts. This can cut the risk of coronary heart disease by nearly 30 percent. The risk of cancer is also cut by 15 percent and the risk of premature death by 22 percent.

An average of at least 20 grams of nut consumption was also associated with a reduced risk of dying from respiratory disease by about a half, and diabetes by nearly 40 percent, although the researchers note that there is less data about these diseases in relation to nut consumption.

The study was led by researchers from Imperial College, London UK, and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. It is published in the journal BMC Medicine.