A new study from Imperial College London has found that eating just a small handful of nuts every day can bring big health benefits.
The study showed that eating about 20 grams of nuts daily—which is roughly one small handful—can lower the risk of several major diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and lung problems.
The research team looked at data from 29 different studies. Altogether, these studies included information from up to 819,000 people. They looked at thousands of cases of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and even deaths. What they found was clear: people who ate nuts regularly had lower risks of many serious health problems.
Here’s what the researchers found: Eating 20 grams of nuts each day could lower the risk of heart disease by almost 30%, reduce the risk of cancer by 15%, and cut the risk of dying early by 22%. The study also found that people who ate nuts had a 50% lower chance of dying from breathing-related diseases and a 40% lower chance of developing diabetes.
The good news is that many types of nuts were included in the study—such as hazelnuts, walnuts, and even peanuts. While peanuts are technically legumes (like beans), they showed similar health benefits to tree nuts. This means that most common types of nuts can help your health.
Nuts are packed with nutrients that support good health. They contain fiber, magnesium, and healthy fats that help protect your heart and lower bad cholesterol levels. Some nuts, like walnuts and pecans, are high in antioxidants, which can help protect your body from damage and may reduce cancer risk.
Even though nuts contain a lot of fat, it’s the healthy kind—called unsaturated fat. They also contain protein and fiber, which help you feel full. This means that nuts may actually help people manage their weight over time, even though they are high in calories.
The study also found that eating more than 20 grams of nuts per day didn’t give extra health benefits. So just one small handful a day is enough to help protect your health.
This research was done by Dagfinn Aune and his team and published in the journal BMC Medicine. It gives strong evidence that adding a few nuts to your daily diet is a simple and natural way to stay healthy and lower your risk of serious illness.
As more people look for easy ways to improve their health, this study shows that something as small as eating nuts each day could make a big difference. It’s an easy, affordable step that almost anyone can take to improve their well-being.
If you care about nutrition, please read studies about the power of pickle juice, and why turmeric is a health game-changer.
For more health information, please see recent studies about what causes lactose intolerance and cranberry juice could help prevent UTIs.
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