A recent study from Imperial College London and other research centers has found that eating just a small amount of nuts each day—about 20 grams, or a handful—can lower your risk of serious illnesses, including heart disease, cancer, and even early death.
This new finding comes from a review of many past studies involving hundreds of thousands of people.
The researchers looked at 29 earlier studies that included up to 819,000 people. These studies followed people’s health over time and recorded how much nuts they ate.
The results showed that those who ate at least 20 grams of nuts each day had much better health outcomes than those who didn’t.
In fact, their risk of dying early from any cause was reduced by 22%. Their chances of getting coronary heart disease—a major cause of heart attacks—dropped by nearly 30%. Cancer risk went down by 15%.
The benefits didn’t stop there. Eating nuts was also linked to a lower chance of dying from respiratory diseases, like asthma or lung infections, by about 50%. It also seemed to cut the risk of dying from diabetes by nearly 40%.
These results are especially important because conditions like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are among the leading causes of death worldwide.
The study didn’t focus on just one type of nut. It included a wide range, such as walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pecans, and peanuts. Even though peanuts are technically legumes and not true nuts, they offered similar health benefits. The health improvements were seen whether people ate tree nuts, peanuts, or a mix of both.
So, what makes nuts so powerful when it comes to health? The answer lies in their nutrition. Nuts are packed with healthy fats, especially polyunsaturated fats, which are good for the heart.
They’re also rich in fiber and magnesium—nutrients that help reduce cholesterol and lower blood pressure. Many nuts, especially walnuts and pecans, are high in antioxidants, which help protect the body’s cells and may reduce the risk of cancer.
Some people worry about eating nuts because they are high in fat. But the fat in nuts is mostly the healthy kind. Plus, nuts are filling because they contain both protein and fiber, which can help people feel satisfied and may even help prevent weight gain. In fact, some studies suggest that eating nuts regularly might reduce the risk of obesity over time.
Interestingly, the researchers found that eating more than 20 grams of nuts per day didn’t bring much more benefit. This suggests that just one handful of nuts a day is enough to help protect your health. There’s no need to eat large amounts.
This study, led by Dagfinn Aune and published in the journal BMC Medicine, gives simple and encouraging advice: if you want to live a longer and healthier life, consider making nuts a part of your daily diet. Just a small handful each day could make a big difference.
If you care about nutrition, please read studies about berry that can prevent cancer, diabetes, and obesity, and the harm of vitamin D deficiency you need to know.
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