Objective
To examine the
association between nut consumption and all-cause mortality.
Methods
76,464 women
from the Nurses’ Health Study and 42,498 men from the Health Professional
Follow up study were followed for 30 years. Nut consumption was measured every
4 years by means of a validated food frequency questionnaire. Risk of death was
computed for increasing levels of nut consumption, while statistically controlling
for potential confounding variables.
Results
By the end of
follow up, there were 16,200 deaths in the Nurses’ Health Study and 11,229
deaths in the Health Professional Follow-up Study. When compared to subjects
who never consumed nuts, subjects consuming 7 or more servings of nuts per week
had a 20% lower risk of dying. A serving of nuts was considered to be 1 ounce.
There was a
statistically significant inverse association between nut consumption and death
due to cancer, heart disease, and respiratory disease. The association between
nut consumption and a lower risk of morality was actually stronger for subjects
that were overweight or obese.
Comment
Nuts have long
been vilified for their high fat content. Those looking to improve their health
or lose weight were told to strictly limit consumption. This was the wrong
advice. First of all, nut consumption does not have a major impact on body
weight. In both the Nurses’ Health and Health Professional cohorts, less weight
gain was seen among subjects with more frequent nut consumption.
Nuts are also an
extremely healthy food. They contain unsaturated fatty acids, fiber, vitamins,
minerals, antioxidants, protein, and other beneficial phytochemicals. The
authors noted that the combination of these components has been shown to be
cardio-protective, anti-carcinogenic, and anti-inflammatory. That is likely why those who consume nuts
frequently have a lower risk of dying.
Take Home Message
Nuts are a very
important part of a healthy diet. Do not fear them, but appreciate them and
enjoy them on a daily basis. 
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