Nuts, Heart disease, and Cancer

Nuts are good for the brain but multiple studies have also shown other benefits. For example, the 1990's Adventist Health Study of a large population of California Seventh Day Adventists found that in addition to reducing the risk of heart attack by up to 60%, eating nuts was one of the four top factors for extending longevity. What types of nuts were eaten: about 32 percent were peanuts, 29 percent were almonds, 16 percent were walnuts, and 23 percent were other types. Experiments where volunteers were fed nuts as part of their diet for several weeks have found that walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachio nuts, and macadamia nuts all alter the composition of the blood in ways that would be expected to reduce coronary risk.  And in the Nurses' Health Study, peanuts, which are really legumes, were found to be just as effective in reducing the risk of coronary heart disease as tree nuts. Nuts do contain fat. However, in the Nurses' Health Study, the frequent nut consumers were actually a little thinner on average than those who almost never consumed nuts, and daily supplements of almonds or peanuts for six months resulted in little or no increase in body weight. The belief is that nuts may satisfy hunger, provide a wealth of nutrients, and create a feeling of comfort, which may result in an overall decrease in food consumption.