Studies make a strong case for the health benefits of nuts

It sure seems that we go nuts over Christmas!

And I mean that literally – as in fancy nutcrackers, boxes of mixed nuts, nutty cakes, cookies and other treats. There are even chestnuts roasting on an open fire!

But if you’re being gifted with the likes of walnuts, pecans, almonds and hazelnuts (those little round ones everyone leaves behind in the nut bowl), don’t just bring them out when company comes.

It turns out that just by eating a small amount of these goodies every day you can slash your risk of a whole list of diseases – including cancer!

Half an ounce of prevention

For a long time now, I’ve been telling you how nuts are a nutrient-packed super-food.

And probably for just as long, you’ve also been hearing how high in fat nuts are. Well, forget that fat-fearing mantra. Because nuts are just as good for you as they are delicious.

Now, a new study has discovered even more about the health benefits of nuts. And you don’t have to be eating them by the boatload – simply a handful a day is enough.

Researchers from the Imperial College London examined numerous published studies, finding that half-an-ounce – around a handful of nuts – can slash your risk of heart disease by close to a third!

For other diseases, nuts show even more benefits. For example, how about cutting your risk of respiratory diseases in half and reducing the risk of developing diabetes by 40 percent? Oh, and eating nuts every day can also cut your risk of cancer by 15 percent.

Now, if you’re wondering exactly what kinds of nuts these researchers are talking about, well, it’s just about all of them — including hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts and even peanuts, which are technically considered legumes.

But the good news in this study isn’t all we’ve learned about the benefits of nuts. Last year researchers discovered some that were even more amazing

By eating just two teaspoons of nuts every day you can stack the odds in your favor of avoiding seven top causes of death by almost a quarter, compared to those who never eat nuts.

In that study, the researchers found that this tiny amount of nuttiness could actually lower what are called “biomarkers” of inflammation.

And there’s been other recent evidence to show that nuts are incredibly healthful additions to our diet.

Earlier this year I told you about two remarkable studies, one involving prostate cancer and the other colon cancer.

In the first study, Harvard researchers discovered that guys with prostate cancer who regularly ate nuts like pistachios, cashews, and walnuts were 34 percent less likely to die. And the amounts consumed in that study were just one-third of a cup, five days a week.

In the second one, Korean scientists found that eating nuts can substantially lower your risk of colon cancer. This study also found that all it took was a small handful – around half an ounce – three or more times a week.

For that modest amount, men were able to lower their colon cancer risk by almost 70 percent. For women, the results were even more astounding – a whopping 81 percent risk reduction in this deadly cancer!

All these findings make sense when you realize that nuts are high in antioxidants, fiber, protein, minerals, and a dose of good fats. Walnuts, a Christmas favorite, are especially loaded with antioxidants and have even been found to protect against Alzheimer’s!

So start using more nuts in your cooking, as they go with just about every dish, and snack on a handful instead of reaching for chips or cookies.

And whatever you do, don’t take that super fancy box of nuts Aunt Wilma gave you and re-gift it!

“Daily handful of nuts cuts risk of many diseases” Sylvia Booth Hubbard, December 5, 2016, Newsmax, newsmax.com