A simple snacking choice could help reduce your risk of developing heart disease, new research has shown.
Yep, according to a team at Harvard University, eating a handful of nuts just twice a week could cut your risk by almost a quarter, The Telegraph reports.
After studying over 200,000 people for over 30 years, the team concluded that those who ate a range of nuts, including almonds, walnuts and pistachios, two or more times a week were 23 per cent less likely to develop coronary heart disease and 15 per cent less likely to get cardiovascular disease.
Study author Dr Marta Guasch-Ferre said in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: ‘Our findings support recommendations of increasing the intake of a variety of nuts, as part of healthy dietary patterns, to reduce the risk of chronic disease in the general populations.’
After reviewing the results of the study, Dr Emilio Ros from the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona added that further investigations were needed but concluded: ‘Raw nuts, if possible unpeeled and otherwise unprocessed, may be considered as natural health capsules that can be easily incorporated into any heart-protective diet to further cardiovascular well-being and promote healthy ageing.’
However, commenting on the findings, British Heart Association spokesperson Professor Jeremy Pearson told The Telegraph: ‘It is important people distinguish between plain and flavoured nuts when planning a healthy diet.
‘This study focused on the intake of raw, often unprocessed nuts, which are very different to roasted and salted nuts that often come higher in salt and sugar.’
But, considering that heart disease remains the biggest killer in the UK, with 160,000 Brits dying from it every year, we’re sure you’ll agree this is well worth noting.
