Tree Nuts Reduce Heart Disease & Diabetes Risks

Now known to be a good source of unsaturated (“good”) fat, and high in protein, tree nuts – which include pistachios, cashews, almonds, pecans and walnuts – may help people to manage their weight.  Joan Sabate, from Loma Linda University (California, USA), and colleagues analyzed the dietary habits of 803 adults enrolled in the Adventist Health Study-2.  The data revealed that those subjects who ate about 16 grams (half an ounce) per day – were only slightly over their normal weight, on average, compared to those who ate few or no nuts and were seriously overweight or obese.  As well, those who ate the most nuts had an average body mass index (BMI) of 27, as compared to those who ate the fewest (less than 5 grams daily) at an average BMI of 29-30.  Identifying that one-third of the study subjects had metabolic syndrome, which raises the risks of heart disease and diabetes risk, the team found that every one-ounce serving of tree nuts consumed per week, reduced that risk by 7%.  The study authors submit that: “Tree nuts appear to have strong inverse association with obesity, and favorable though weaker association with [Metabolic Syndrome] independent of demographic, lifestyle and dietary factors.”