Reduced risk of heart attack
Nuts such as almonds, walnuts, and pistachios are considered the first healthy snacks because they are rich in fiber, protein, and vitamins. Eating these nuts can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease or death from it, a study has found.
According to a joint research team from the University of Oslo in Norway and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, people who consistently consume a handful of nuts (regarding 30g) a day have lower cholesterol levels and lower cardiovascular disease rates. The risk of suffering or dying from a heart attack or stroke was also reduced by a quarter.
Researchers reviewed 60 studies involving more than 1.9 million people to see if there was any association between nut and seed consumption and the risk of cardiovascular disease, heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.
The study found that people who ate regarding 30 grams of nuts and seeds a day were 19% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease and 23% less likely to die from the disease than those who ate less. In addition, those who enjoyed eating nuts and seeds were 18% less likely to suffer from heart disease and 25% less likely to die from it.
Erik Arnesen, a researcher at the University of Oslo and first author of the study, said: “Eating a handful of nuts, equivalent to regarding 30 g each day, might reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by 20 to 25 percent.” I only eat regarding 4 grams of nuts on average per day,” he said.
“Because nuts have a beneficial effect on cholesterol, they prevent the accumulation of fat in the arteries, which is one of the biggest risk factors for heart attack,” he said. I think it’s effective enough,” he added.
The findings (Nuts and seeds consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and their risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis) were published in the journal Food and Nutrition.