Since the beginning of time, mankind has sought for something to keep them alive for longer. From the Greek myth of ambrosia to medieval alchemy to the Fountain of Youth to modern anti-aging products, humans have always looked for ways to stave off the ravages of time, age, and disease.
Well, what if we told you that there was something that could help you live longer, and it came in the form of a food you’re guaranteed to have in your home?
A new study published in the journal BMC Medicine describes this amazing, delicious little remedy for reducing your risk of early death. A team of researchers from the UK and Norway conducted a meta-analysis of 29 studies into the benefits of nuts for the human body. Specifically, how nuts could help to reduce the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and both all-cause and cause-specific mortality rates.
Data for over 819,000 patients was examined, including more thousands of cases of strokes, coronary heart disease, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. The study analyzed how eating nuts could help to reduce not only the risk of these diseases, but also diabetes, kidney disease, respiratory disease, infectious disease, and even neurodegenerative disease.
The findings were fascinating: eating a single handful of nuts per day led to a 22% reduction in all-cause mortality.
Just 20 grams of nuts—pine nuts, walnuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, and cashews—led to a 75% reduction in infectious diseases, a 40% reduction in diabetes, 15% reduction in all cancers, 21% reduction in cardiovascular disease, and a 30% reduction in coronary heart disease. Just one handful of nuts, and the results are off the charts.
Nuts (this study included peanuts, which are technically a legume) are an amazing source of fiber, polyunsaturated fats, and magnesium. All of these nutrients can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, reduce cholesterol levels, manage glucose, improve insulin resistance, and decrease inflammation. Basically, the nutrients found in nuts are almost able to single-handedly combat disease—at the very least, they can reduce the risk of disease. What’s more, there’s evidence to prove that nuts can actually counteract obesity, rather than adding to it as was previously feared.
The beauty of nuts is that you can find them everywhere. It’s easy to get your hands on just about any type of nuts you like, and they’ll all do your body good and reduce your risk of disease. A handful a day may just be what you need to live a longer life.
Reference:
1. “Nut consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer, all-cause and cause-specific mortality: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies“, Dagfinn Aune et al., BMC Medicine, doi: 10.1186/s12916-016-0730-3, published online 5 December 2016.
