Oh nuts! This common expression may sound negative to some people but where health is concerned, the nuts actually bring a lot of benefits. A new study has even discovered that regular eating of nuts may extend a person’s life.
Various studies have already confirmed that certain foods can lengthen a person’s life. This has been found normally after people ate those foods on a regular basis.
The Case of Nuts
A new research done by the Harvard Medical School covered nearly 119,000 subjects both men and women who had no history of stroke, heart disease or cancer. They were observed and studied for almost 30 years notably on their consumption of nuts and over that time period, more than 27,400 reportedly died.
The scientists found that those who ate a small serving of nuts at seven or more times every week lowered their risk of dying from a disease compared to those who never ate at all. A 29 percent reduction in their risk of dying from heart disease was noted among those who ate at least five times in a week. The drop in respiratory disease was 24 percent while it was an 11 percent decrease for cancer.
Another interesting point is that those who ate less than once a week also had a lower risk.
Among the nuts that the subjects consumed during the study were the regular peanuts, the walnuts, almonods, cashews, filberts and pistachios or the so-called tree nuts.
Who can Benefit?
Adults, particularly those who have heart and cholesterol issues, are definitely the ones most likely to benefit from eating nuts. Research has already shown that nuts can prevent heart disease as well as diabetes owing to their properties. This nutty food is full of nutrients. Other than rich in fiber, it is also a good source of vitamins, minerals, unsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants.
Nuts in themselves are already good for the health in that they can lower one’s cholesterol level. The good news is that when they’re combined with other healthy foods, the benefits are greater.
Mono and polyunsaturated fats are also present in nuts and these are good for the heart. Walnuts, in particular, are rich in omega-3 fats which can protect the heart from irregular heart rhythms.
In addition, nuts contain arginine which helps improve the function of blood vessels. Other nutrients in this power food are vitamin E and fiber.
Nuts are best mixed with salads, dips, cakes, breads and crackers.
Image via sciencedaily
Originally posted on December 27, 2013 @ 3:01 pm