The body of evidence about nuts and health continues to grow. These local and international research papers, published around August 2024, corroborate decades of research about the importance of a regular handful of nuts within a healthy diet.

Reducing climate change impacts from the global food system through diet shifts. (Li et al, 2024).
This research evaluates the distribution of dietary emissions from 140 food products, in 139 countries or areas. And it models potential changes in emissions with global diet shifts. Among the findings, it suggests global annual dietary emissions would fall by 17% with the worldwide adoption of the EAT-Lancet Planetary Health Diet. And this is primarily attributed to shifts from red meat to legumes and nuts as principal protein sources. In addition, more than half of the global population is presently overconsuming, and shifting this would potentially save 32.4% of global emissions.

Impacts of dietary animal and plant protein on weight and glycemic control in health, obesity and type 2 diabetes: Friend or foe? (Anjom-Shoae et al, 2024).
This review paper looks at the impact of dietary protein on appetite, energy intake and postprandial glycemia. It also evaluates the knowledge relating to dietary protein source, and the prevention, and management, of obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Based on epidemiological studies, the authors conclude that animal-based protein, but not plant-based protein, may adversely affect the development of obesity and T2D. They suggest dietary guidelines consider the source of dietary protein in relation to the use of high-protein diets, and advise a reduction in the consumption of animal protein and a relative increase in plant protein.

Processed red meat raises the risk of dementia; swapping it for nuts and beans may lower risk. From the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2024.
This research, presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, looked at the link between red meat and dementia, in more than 130,000 participants in the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, who were tracked for up to 43 years. It identified 11,173 dementia cases. The researchers concluded that people who ate around two servings per week of processed red meat had a higher risk of dementia, and that replacing one serving of processed red meat with one serving of nuts and legumes every day could reduce the risk of dementia by 20%.

Impact of dietary risk on global ischemic heart disease: Findings from 1990–2019. (Rostami et al, 2024).
This research used data from the Global Burden of Disease study to determine how dietary risks impact ischemic heart disease (IHD), which accounts for half of the CVD-related deaths worldwide. Among the findings, deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in 2019 were lower than in 1990. The most deaths and DALYs of IHD attributable to dietary risks occurred in the low-middle socio-demographic index (SDI), in 2019. In countries with low and low-middle SDI, the greatest dietary risk factors were a diet low in fibre, fruit, nuts and seeds, PUFA, seafood omega-3 fatty acids, vegetable, and whole grain.

Plant and animal fat intake and overall and cardiovascular disease mortality (Zhao et al, 2024).
In this cohort study of 407,531 participants, with 24 years of follow-up and nearly 190 000 deaths, greater plant fat intake was associated with lower overall and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, independent of other important mortality risk factors. Replacement of 5% energy from animal fat with 5% energy from plant fat, particularly fat from grains or vegetable oils, was associated with a lower risk for mortality: 4% to 24% reduction in overall mortality, and 5% to 30% reduction in CVD mortality.

Lipidome changes due to improved dietary fat quality inform cardiometabolic risk reduction and precision nutrition. (Eichelmann et al, 2024).
This 16-week dietary intervention study involved 113 participants, with one group consuming a diet high in saturated animal fats and the other a diet rich in unsaturated plant-based fats. The effects on blood lipids were summarised into a multi-lipid score (MLS), with a high score indicating a healthier blood fat profile. It showed that a high intake of unsaturated plant fats and low intake of saturated animal fats can help achieve positive MLS levels. In addition, participants with a higher MLS had a significantly reduced risk of cardiometabolic diseases.

Protein adequacy, plant protein proportion and main plant protein sources consumed across vegan, vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian and semi-vegetarian diets: A systematic review. (Rolands et al, 2024).
This review found that, across four different plant-based diets (vegan, vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian, and semi-vegetarian), total protein intake was similar, and all diets met protein requirements. Among the findings, those following a vegan diet had the greatest variety of plant protein sources, whereas semi-vegetarian diets disproportionately relied on grains as the main plant protein source. Nuts and seeds contributed most to total plant protein intake in the vegetarian diets (median 7.9%), and least in the semi-vegetarian diets (median 3.7%).

Plant-based diets and cardiovascular disease in older adults: An integrative literature review. (Van Cleef et al, 2024).
This review looks at the effectiveness of plant-based diets (PBDs) in improving cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in older adults (≥65 years). Of the 17 publications analysed, all studies showed at least one positive association between PBDs and cardiovascular health. Findings highlighted significant associations between PBD adherence and reductions in key CVD risk factors, such as LDL-cholesterol, blood pressure, and body mass index, alongside potential benefits in other areas, such as in enhancing endothelial function.