163264620A new 30 year study has been released that shows the benefits of eating nuts regularly. The study shows that a handful of nuts a day could reduce risks of heart disease and cancer as well as help you to stay slim. In fact, the study goes as far as to say that nut eaters will live longer, period.

Nuts have been heralded as heart healthy for a long time. However, this is the biggest ever study on the effects of eating nuts on mortality.

The Study

The study was based on 76,464 women and 42,498 men between 1980 (1986 for men) and 2010. The study did not include participants who had a history of cancer, heart disease or stroke. Average nut consumption was recorded at the beginning of the study and updated every 2-4 years.

Nut consumption was measured via a questionnaire, where participants were asked if, in the last year, they consumed a serving (28g) of nuts: never, or almost never; one to three times a month; once a week; two to four times a week; once a day; two or three times a day; four to six times a day; or more than six times a day. In follow up surveys this question was split into two groups: peanuts and other nuts.

In the thirty years of the study, nut consumption remained fairly constant. Regular nut eaters were shown to be leaner, more likely to exercise, less likely to smoke. The nut-eaters were also more likely to take multivitamins; they ate more fruit and vegetables and were recorded as drinking more alcohol than the non nut-eaters.

The Results

During the period of the study, 16,200 deaths were recorded among female participants and 11,229 among the males. The results showed that regular nut eaters were 20% less likely to die of any cause. The risk of dying of heart disease was reduced by 29% and that of cancer by 11% for people who had nuts seven or more times a week. People who ate nuts less than once a week had a reduced death rate of 7%, once a week saw an 11% reduction in death rates and those who ate nuts two to four times a week, 13% reduction

These benefits were shown for all tree nuts (pistachios, almonds, walnuts etc) as well as peanuts, which are not true nuts, but a bean. It was also noted that regular nut eaters were slimmer than those who didn’t eat nuts, despite the perception that the high fat in nuts will make you gain weight.

So Are Nuts The Miracle Food?

Researchers aren’t sure which element of nuts so dramatically improve health outcomes. It could be the high levels of good unsaturated fatty acids, or the minerals and other nutrients that they contain which help to lower cholesterol, reduce inflammation and maintain cell health. It could be a combination of all of these factors.

It’s possible that the generally healthier lifestyle of nut-eaters, with higher fruit and vegetable intake and more exercise results in lowered death rates, meaning that nuts alone are not the only element involved in improved health, but merely a healthy contributing part of a much bigger picture. Either way, a handful of nuts a day could really help to keep the doctor away. Just be careful; if you have had weight loss surgery, such as gastric bypass surgery or lap band surgery, or if you are counting calories, you need to make sure that you include your nuts in your daily calorie allowance. They may be high in health benefits, but they are also high in calories.

At Weight Loss Surgery Mexico, we believe that getting the right balance in your lifestyle is key to successful weight loss surgery. Whether you have a gastric sleeve, gastric lap band, or are considering any weight loss surgery procedure, what you eat, how active you are, and your general lifestyle will contribute not only to your weight, but to your overall health.

At Weight Loss Surgery Mexico, we know how important diet is to an individual’s health. We don’t just help patients to lose weight; we guide them on good food to eat, how to stay healthy and fit. And that’s why we are nuts about nuts.

If you would like to know more about any of our weight loss surgery procedures, or to find out if weight loss surgery could get you on the right track to a healthy, happy, slimmer you, contact us today for a free, no obligation consultation with one of our US based case workers.