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

Planetary Health Diet Index and risk of total and cause-specific mortality in three prospective cohorts. (Bui et al, 2024).
This large cohort study investigated associations between adherence to the EAT-Lancet reference diet, and total and cause-specific mortality – using health data from more than 200,000 US adults. Among the findings, those in the highest quintile of adherence to the diet had a 23% lower risk of total mortality, 14% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality, and 10% lower risk of cancer mortality, compared with the lowest. Higher adherence was also associated with 29% lower greenhouse gas emissions and 51% less land use.

Peanut oral immunotherapy plus omalizumab for 24 weeks safely induces tolerance at 48 weeks in allergic adults (The OPAL Study). (Loprete et al, 2024).
This trial, involving 25 peanut-allergic adults, evaluated the impact of peanut oral immunotherapy, plus omalizumab (a monoclonal antibody that blocks IgE), on peanut protein tolerance over 48 weeks. It found this combination to be a safe and effective way of increasing tolerance to peanuts, by at least 3-fold, over 24 weeks – and that this was sustained at 48 weeks. Quality of life markers also significantly improved in the adult study cohort – an understudied group in the area of food immunotherapy.

Follow-up to adolescence after early peanut introduction for allergy prevention. (Du Toit et al, 2024).
This study, involving 508 children, with an average age of 13 years, tested whether the protection gained from early consumption of peanut products would last into adolescence. It found that feeding peanuts or nut products to infants between 4-6 months of age to age 5 years, reduced the rate of peanut allergy in adolescence by 71%. In other words, the protective effect of early peanut consumption, irrespective of subsequent peanut consumption – lasted into adolescence. It suggests that long-term prevention and tolerance can be achieved in food allergy.

Trends of peanut-induced anaphylaxis rates before and after the 2017 early peanut introduction guidelines in Montreal, Canada. (Yu et al, 2024).
In 2017, Canada launched early peanut introduction guidelines. This study assessed the impact of these guidelines on peanut-induced anaphylaxis rates. It looked at data on children, with and without known peanut allergy, who presented with peanut-induced anaphylaxis (at a single centre in Montreal) between 2011 and 2019. Compared to pre-guideline estimates, new-onset peanut-induced anaphylaxis rates decreased after 2017 in children 2 years of age or younger. No significant changes were identified for older children aged 3-17 years, or in those with known peanut allergy.

Mediterranean diet adherence and risk of all-cause mortality in women. (Ahmad et al, 2024).
This cohort study involved 25,315 healthy US-based women, who were tracked over 25 years. The women were assigned a Mediterranean diet adherence score at baseline – with a higher score based on regular intake of vegetables (excluding potatoes), fruits, nuts, whole grains, legumes, fish, and a higher ratio of monounsaturated to saturated fatty acids. It found higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a 23% lower risk of all-cause mortality. This inverse association was partially explained by multiple cardiometabolic factors.

Effects of intensive lifestyle changes on the progression of mild cognitive impairment or early dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease: A randomized, controlled clinical trial. (Ornish et al, 2024).
This trial involved 51 participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or early dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). They were randomly assigned to either an intensive multidomain lifestyle intervention, or usual care (control), over 20 weeks. It found that comprehensive lifestyle changes (which included a whole foods minimally-processed plant-based diet – rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, soy products, nuts and seeds, and low in harmful fats, sweeteners and refined carbohydrates) may improve cognition and function after 20 weeks in many people with MCI or early dementia due to AD.

Dietary intake of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), serum BCAAs, and cardiometabolic risk markers among community-dwelling adults. (Rao et al, 2024).
This cross-sectional study, involving a cohort of 2,791 participants, investigated the associations between dietary/serum branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and cardiometabolic risk markers. Among the findings, dietary BCAAs in whole grains and nuts were associated with higher HDL-cholesterol, and lower triglycerides and diastolic blood pressure. Serum BCAAs showed a detrimental association with cardiometabolic risk markers.