The 10 best nuts to eat, why they’re so good for you, and alternative super foods if you’re allergic
How consuming a handful of nuts daily can help stave off a raft of illnesses, including heart disease and chronic inflammation, without sacrificing your waistline
Eating more healthily in 2017 could be as easy as adding a handful of nuts to your diet each day. New research shows that people who eat at least 20 grams of nuts a day can cut their risk of coronary heart disease by nearly 30 per cent, cancer by 15 per cent and premature death by 22 per cent.
The study was led by researchers from Imperial College London and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Co-author Dagfinn Aune from the School of Public Health at Imperial says: “We found a consistent reduction in risk across many different diseases, which is a strong indication that there is a real underlying relationship between nut consumption and different health outcomes. It’s quite a substantial effect for such a small amount of food.”
The study included all kinds of tree nuts, such as hazelnuts and walnuts, and also peanuts (which are actually legumes). The results were in general similar whether total nut intake, tree nuts or peanuts were analysed.
Even though nuts are quite high in fat, they are also high in fibre and protein, and there is some evidence that suggests nuts might actually reduce risk of obesity over time. Since nuts are also energy dense, Michelle Lau, certified nutritionist and nutrition educator at Nutrilicious, advises you to ration your intake to just a fistful per day to reap the benefits without sacrificing your waistline.
“Avoid the overly salted and honey-glazed versions, which are often packed with unnecessary sugar and sodium,” Lau says.
