HEALTH
Nuts about nuts
Let’s roast the myths! Not only are nuts less fattening than once feared, research shows they can cut the risk of heart disease too
by RUTH TIERNEY
Many of us avoid eating nuts because they’re high in fat and calories, but latest research shows they’re so good for cardiovascular health that we should be having a small handful daily. Researchers at the University of Oslo and the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, have reviewed 60 studies involving 1.9 million participants and found those who ate 30g daily – in particular walnuts, almonds and pistachios – were 19% less likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease and 23% less likely to die from it.
And even the idea that nuts are fattening is a dated one. ‘A lot of the worry came about in the 1980s when diets cut out every type of fat,’ says Rohini Bajekal, nutritionist with Plant-Based Health Professionals UK. ‘We now know that the mono- and polyunsaturated fats found in nuts are associated with good health. It’s true they are composed of between 50% and 80% fat, but several studies have shown that regularly eating nuts helps maintain a healthy weight.’