The body of evidence about nuts and healthy ageing continues to grow, with new local and international research papers regularly published.

Body of evidence

Nut consumption and disability-free survival in community-dwelling older adults: A prospective cohort study. (Wild et al, 2024).
This prospective cohort study followed 9,916 older Australians (≥70 years) – living independently and free of chronic disabling disease at the start of the study – across an average of 3.9 years. It found older people who ate nuts every day or several times a day, regardless of the type or form of nut, lived longer without dementia or a major physical disability, compared to those who never or rarely ate nuts. The findings of an improved healthy lifespan with nut consumption were especially relevant for older people with less-than-optimal diets.

Plant foods intake and risk of premature aging in adult survivors of childhood cancer in the St Jude Lifetime Cohort (SJLIFE). (Wang et al, 2024).
This prospective cohort study explored associations between plant food intakes and premature aging (assessed by the ‘deficit accumulation index’) amongst 3,322 adult survivors of childhood cancer, from the St Jude Lifetime Cohort. It found dark green vegetables, and nuts/seeds, were associated with a lower risk of premature aging. Conversely, refined grain intake was related to an increased risk. Fruit and whole grain intakes were not linked with premature aging risk. Among the nutrients abundant in plant foods, dietary folate intake was linked with a lower risk.

Long-term consumption of nuts (including peanuts, peanut butter, walnuts, and other nuts) in relation to the risk of frailty in older women: Evidence from a cohort study. (Wang et al, 2023).
This large US-based prospective cohort study looked at the link between nut consumption and frailty in an aging female population (71,704 non-frail women, ≥60 years old). Frailty was defined as having ≥3 of the FRAIL components (fatigue, lower strength, reduced aerobic capacity, multiple chronic conditions, significant weight loss), and was assessed every four years, from 1992 to 2016. It found a strong and consistent inverse association between regular nut consumption and incident frailty. Consuming ≥5 serves/wk of nuts was linked with a 20% lower risk of frailty, compared to <1 serving/month.

Association between nut consumption and frailty in the elderly: A large sample cross-sectional study. (Yang et al, 2023).
This study investigated the link between nut consumption and frailty among 10,033 US-based older people (above 60 years), using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database. It found that nut consumption was linked with a significantly lower risk of frailty, compared with not eating nuts. And the impact on preventing frailty was particularly observed in those without hypertension. The researchers concluded that nut intake, at around 30g/day, can help improve quality of life in older adults.

Nuts and older adults’ health: A narrative review. (Tan et al, 2021).
This review collated the findings from past studies which looked at the effects of nuts on age-related diseases. Specifically, the researchers considered the potential for nut consumption to effect telomere length, sarcopenia, and cognitive function – all major markers for age-related conditions. Based on data to date, they suggest that nut consumption, especially when part of a healthy diet or over a prolonged period, is linked with positive outcomes, such as longer telomere length, reduced risk of sarcopenia and better cognition. But further longer-term intervention studies are needed.

Rapid benefits in older age from transition to whole food diet regardless of protein source or fat to carbohydrate ratio: A randomised control trial. (Ribeiro et al, 2024).
This research investigated the effects of protein source and carbohydrate/fat ratios in older people. It included a randomised trial comparing pro-vegetarian (70:30 plant to animal) versus omnivorous (50:50 plant to animal) diets at 14% protein and varying fat-to-carbohydrate ratios, over 4 weeks. Transitioning from a ‘standard Australian diet’ to a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, fibre, and moderate protein was linked with improved health markers in older age, with added benefits from pro-vegetarian diets (including reduced diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol and glucose levels).

Mediterranean diet in older adults: Cardiovascular outcomes and mortality from observational and interventional studies: A systematic review and meta-analysis. (Furbatto et al, 2024).
This review included 26 observational studies and two randomised trials, involving a total of 679,259 participants. It found higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet (Med diet) to be linked with a 23% reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality, as well as a decreased risk of cardiovascular mortality, and cardiovascular non-fatal events, in older adults. It shows that the positive effect, among the general population, of following the Med diet is also seen in people beyond 60 years of age. But it says more research is needed in those >70 years, as data on outcomes in this group is inconclusive.

Consumption of nuts at midlife and healthy aging in women. (Freitas-Simoes et al, 2020).
Results of this research showed a significant association between the consumption of nuts and healthy aging at midlife, and a greater likelihood of overall health and well-being at older ages. Walnuts appeared to have the strongest relation to healthy aging. The findings support the notion that long-term nut consumption merits as a strategy contributing to a healthier lifespan.

Prospective association between nut consumption and physical function in older men and women. (Arias-Fernández et al, 2019).
This prospective study involved 3,289 people, aged ≥60 years, from the Seniors-ENRICA cohort. Overall, 65.7% of participants consumed nuts. A nut intake of ≥11.5g/day was associated with a 50% reduction in the risk of impaired agility and mobility in men, and with a 35% lower risk of overall physical function impairment in women, compared with who did not consume nuts. No association was observed between nut consumption and low grip strength and slow gait speed. The researchers say the suggested protective effect of nut consumption on physical functioning merits further examination.

Can nuts mitigate malnutrition in older adults? A conceptual framework. (Tan et al, 2018).
This review explores the potential role of nuts in improving the nutritional status of older adults who are at risk of undernutrition. Several properties of whole nuts, some of which appear important for addressing overnutrition (such as hardness, lower-than-expected nutrient availability, and satiety-enhancing effects) may limit their effectiveness as a food to combat undernutrition. However, this paper proposes that modifications – such as transforming the physical form of nuts, addressing the timing of nut ingestion, and introducing variety – may help overcome these barriers. It also discusses the feasibility of using nuts to prevent and reverse undernutrition in this population group.