In a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies published in BMC Medicine1, researchers looked at the association of nut consumption and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), total cancer, and all-cause and cause-specific mortality in adults. Higher nut intake (15-20 g/day or 5-6 servings/week) was associated with reduced risk of CVD, total cancer and all-cause mortality. Both tree nut and peanut consumption resulted in similar findings.

An international team from Norway, UK and USA analyzed twenty studies through a meta-analysis, providing the most up-to-date summary estimates of the association between nut intake and CVD, cancer, and all-cause and cause-specific mortality. The findings were consistent with previous published reviews and meta-analyses.

The results provide further evidence that higher nut intake may help reduce the risk of CVD, total cancer and all-cause mortality.

More recently, in a clinical trial published in metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders2, a team of researchers from India examined the effects of daily consumption of almonds for 24 weeks among type-2 diabetes patients. The incorporation of almonds in a well-balanced diet was associated with multiple beneficial effects on glycemic and CVD risk factors. The study found significant improvement in mean values of waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, serum triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, among other parameters.

According to the World Health Organization, CVD was the leading cause of noncommunicable disease (NCD) deaths in 2012 and was responsible for 17.5 million deaths, or 46% of NCD deaths3.