Oh, Nuts!

Who’s your favorite nut? Almonds, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, cashews, peanuts, Brazils, pistachios, walnuts – they’re all healthy for you. So along with your fruits and veggies, eat a handful of nuts a day. A major study shows that eating nuts seven or more times a week lead to a 20% reduction in risk of death.

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From Medical News Today: Eating nuts every day may prolong life

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/269206.php

The largest study of its kind, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, finds that people who eat a handful of nuts every day live longer than those who do not eat them at all.

Scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and the Harvard School of Public Health came to this conclusion after analyzing data on nearly 120,000 people collected over 30 years.

The analysis also showed that regular nut eaters tended to be slimmer than those who ate no nuts, putting to rest the notion that eating nuts leads to weight gain.

From the LA Times: Go nuts for nuts — they may help you live longer http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-nut-study-live-longer-20131121,0,981985.story

“Nuts are a tiny food that pack a powerful nutrition punch,” said Rachel Berman, health content manager at About.com and a registered dietitian. “They are rich in heart healthy monosaturated fats, fiber, protein and disease-fighting antioxidants like vitamin E.”

Berman said that having nutrient-dense nuts as a snack can help keep you fuller longer, and she recommended incorporating one ounce per day into your diet.

She suggested pistachios, which are 49 nuts per 160-calorie serving; almonds, which are 22 nuts per serving; and walnuts, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and have been shown in studies to help reduce the risk and symptoms of many conditions including heart disease, arthritis and depression.