Updated on December 13, 2022.
Looking for a crunchy, tasty, healthy snack? At your next party, skip the deep-fried and bacon-wrapped appetizers and head for the bowl of mixed nuts. Staring at a gourmet gift basket? Rip open the roasted almonds.
Eating nuts in place of other fatty snacks could help you add years to your life.
Eat nuts for better health
You might know that nuts are nutritional powerhouses that can help keep your weight, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels in check. But research suggests another benefit: Regularly eating nuts—including pistachios, walnuts, and even peanuts—may help you live longer.
A 2019 study published in the Nutrition Reviews Journal found that people who engaged in higher nut consumption were less likely to die of cardiovascular disease. The analysis used findings from 19 separate studies.
And that’s not all. When a 2019 analysis in Circulation Research examined other specific causes of death, it showed that regular nut-eaters were less likely to die of cancer and respiratory disease than those who did not eat nuts.
Keith Roach, MD, associate professor in clinical medicine in the division of general medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and New York Presbyterian Hospital, is not surprised by findings like these. Dr. Roach, who helped develop the RealAge Test, has long recommended eating nuts as a way to make your RealAge younger.
“Researchers note that many substances in nuts have healthy effects—anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cardioprotective. I note that nuts are basically monounsaturated fat and protein, which help you feel full,” Roach says. “So eating nuts may reduce feelings of hunger, lead to less weight gain, and perhaps most importantly, keep people from eating unhealthy substitutes.”
“Monounsaturated fat has a direct RealAge effect,” Roach adds, “mostly due to its beneficial effect on the heart and on blood cholesterol.”
These aren’t the only studies to show nuts may boost longevity. The body of evidence has been growing for quite some time, even since the early 1990s. The Adventist Health Study, Iowa Women’s Health Study, and others found an inverse association between nut consumption and total mortality. And a 2013 analysis of over 7,000 adults in the PREDIMED study found that more than three servings of nuts per week (compared with none) was associated with reduced mortality.
You don’t need a lot of nuts to boost your health, either. Just a handful (about 1 ounce) on most days is all it takes.
