By Dayne Hudson
Generally speaking - going nuts is not a term of endearment.
But if latest research documented in the Nov 2013 New England Journal of Medicine is anything to go by - then the whole world should be going that way - but only when it comes to diet choices.
THE FINDINGS
Nuts have long been touted as an effective health food, with studies finding them to have beneficial effects on coronary heart disease (1), blood cholesterol (2) as well as reduced risks of type 2 diabetes (3), colon cancer (4) and hypertension (5).
Nuts are loaded with important nutrients like unsaturated fatty acids, protein, vitamins (folate, niacin and vitamin E) minerals (potassium, calcium and magnesium) and fiber.
But the news could be even BETTER.
The suggestion based on the collection of data from as far back as 1980, on both men and women, suggests nuts may help us LIVE LONGER.
WHAT WAS DONE
76,464 women and 42,498 men were examined, with those with a history of cancer, heart disease or stroke excluded, along with those who did not provide information on their nut intake.
The subjects consumed both tree nuts (cashews, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, etc) and ground nuts (peanuts) at different rates.
Also, the funders of the study had NO role in its design or conduct.
So it's not just a big advertisement for a nut company.
You don't make the New England Journal of Medicine easily.
THE RESULTS
The men and woman's nut consumption and the DECREASE in deaths were observed in this table:
| WOMEN |
NEVER |
LESS THAN ONCE PER WEEK | ONCE PER WEEK | TWO to FOUR TIMES PER WEEK | FIVE to SIX TIMES PER WEEK | SEVEN or MORE TIMES PER WEEK |
|
No. of person-years |
390,915 | 973,667 | 384,892 | 311,509 | 44,677 | 29,822 |
|
No. of deaths |
3343 | 7486 | 2669 | 2169 | 337 | 202 |
|
MEN |
||||||
|
No. of person-years |
130,848 | 22,338 | 217,025 | 237,617 | 49,416 | 40,127 |
|
No. of deaths |
1860 | 2801 | 2518 | 2843 | 671 | 536 |
You can see how the numbers of deaths drop, as nut consumption increases.
CONCLUSION
The authors conclude:
"Given the observational nature of our study, it is not possible to conclude that the observed inverse association between nut consumption and mortality reflects cause and effect."
Essentially, they're saying, nothing is definite, and nut consumption doesn't mean you'll live longer.
However, the subsequent results here suggest at the very least, another reason to add these ultra-convenient kick-ass health foods into your diet.
Stay Fit, Stay Flexed!
REFERENCES
(1) Kris-Etherton PM, Hu FB, Ros E, Sabate J. The role of tree nuts and peanuts in the prevention of coronary heart disease: multiple potential mechanism. J Nutr 2008;138:1746S-1751S.
(2) Gonzalez CA, Salas-salvado J. The potential of nuts in the prevention of cancer. Br J Nutr 2006;96:Suppl 2:S87-S94.
(3) Jiang R, Manson JE, Stampfer MJ, Liu S, Willlett WC, Hu FB. Nut and peanut butter consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes in women. JAMA 2002;288:2554-60.
(4) Singh PN, Fraser GE. Dietary risk factors for colon cancer in low-risk population. Am J Epidemiol 1998;148:761-74.
(5) Djousse L, Rudich T, Gaziano JM. Nut consumption and risk of hypertension in US male physicians. Clin Nutr 2009;28:10-4.
