Snacking on nuts twice a week cuts risk to heart

EATING a handful of nuts twice a week can slash the risk of heart disease by almost a quarter, say scientists.

A study of more than 200,000 people, many participating for over three decades, found all types of the snack helped prevent the UK’s biggest killer.

Those who ate tree nuts – which include walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, pistachios and pecans – two or more times a week were 23 per cent less likely to develop coronary heart disease than those who rarely or never ate them.

The figure for cardiovascular disease was 15 per cent.

The same amount of peanuts – which are legumes but were included because they have a similar fatty acid and nutrient profile to nuts – reduced the risk of the two conditions by 15 and 13 per cent, respectively.

Nuts are high in antioxidants, proteins, nutrients, minerals and fibre. They have also been found to protect against cancer, diabetes, respiratory conditions and dementia.

The latest study, in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, is the biggest and longest-running of its kind. Lead author Dr Marta Guasch-Ferre, of Harvard University, said: ‘Our findings support recommendations of increasing the intake of a variety of nuts … to reduce the risk of chronic disease.’