Yes, eating nuts every day can help you live longer! Regularly eating nuts can reduce the risk of developing certain conditions, and can also lower the risk of dying prematurely.

Researchers recently pulled together the data from 20 studies, involving more than 800,000 people, from around the world [1].

They concluded that a handful of nuts each day (28g, in this case) can reduce the risk of death from respiratory diseases, diabetes, infections, and all-causes.

They also found eating nuts was linked with a reduced risk of developing heart disease and cancer.

What does the evidence tell us?

The extensive systematic review and meta-analysis, led by the Imperial College London and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, found:

• People who ate 28g (a handful) of nuts a day had a 22% reduced risk of dying early, compared with people who almost never ate nuts
• A 24%, 11% , 19%, 18%, and 19% reduction in the relative risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, cardiovascular disease, total cancer, and all-cause mortality (respectively), with a higher nut intake.

The disease-fighting effect of nuts is likely due to the unique combination of nutrients and bioactives they contain.

Did you know? Only 2% of Australians get the recommended 30g of nuts each day. The average (mean) intake is just 4.6g per day.

In 2013, an estimated 4.4 million deaths may have been due to a nut intake below 20g/day, according to the researchers. They point out that this relates to North and South America, Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Western Pacific.

The researchers concluded that their findings: ‘Support dietary recommendations to increase nut consumption to reduce chronic disease risk and mortality’.

The bottom line

The daily habit of a handful of nuts offers some major health benefits! Regularly eating nuts can reduce the risk of developing conditions, like heart disease and cancer. It can also reduce the risk of premature death by a fifth. What’s not to love about that?