That's Nuts! Nut Consumption Linked to Reduced Death Rate

This story may sound bit nuts, but bear with us. It turns out that a study has shown that people who ate a daily handful of nuts were 20 percent less likely to die from any cause over a 30-year period than those who didn't consume nuts. The findings may reveal a bit more about the potentially healthy benefits of eating nuts.

"The most obvious benefit was a reduction of 29 percent in deaths from heart disease-the major killer of people in America," said Charles Fuchs, one of the researchers, in a news release. "But we also saw a significant reduction-11 percent-in the risk of dying from cancer."

Unfortunately, researchers weren't able to determine whether a specific type or types of nuts were responsible for the protective effect. However, the reduction in mortality was similar both for peanuts and for tree nuts, which include walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, macadamias, pecans, cashews, pistachios and pine nuts.

In order to examine the benefits of nuts, the researchers tapped databases from two well-known ongoing observational studies that collected data on diet and other lifestyle factors and various health outcomes. Participants in the studies filled out detailed food questionnaires every two to four years. With each food questionnaire, participants were asked to estimate how often they consumed nuts in a serving size of one ounce.

The researchers analyzed the data to rule out factors that might have accounted for the mortality benefits. In the end, though, the scientists found that those who ate more nuts were leaner, less likely to smoke and more likely to exercise as well as take vitamin supplements, consume more fruits and vegetables and drink more alcohol. However, the analysis managed to isolate the association between nuts and mortality independently of these factors.

Although the findings can't definitively prove cause and effect, they do show that it's likely nuts have healthful effects on the diet. There's also a wealth of existing observational and clinical trial data to support these findings. It's very likely that if you eat nuts, you may lower your risk of heart disease.

The findings are published in The New England Journal of Medicine.