How a handful of nuts could save you from a heart attack

By JENNY HOPE

Last updated at 17:04 06 September 2006


Eating a handful of nuts could help keep your heart healthy, claim doctors. Just two portions of nuts a week cuts the risk of dying from a heart attack by 11 per cent, according to a major study.

Experts say findings from research involving almost 400,000 people show a small amount of nuts in the diet could help beat heart disease.

See also:

• Click here for the top 10 superfoods

A classic aperitif accompanied by a dish of nuts at least twice a week would be an ideal combination, said Professor Elio Riboli, one of the UK researchers carrying out the study.

He said: 'The important thing is that very modest consumption is associated with protection. A small plate of nuts with a glass of wine would be a healthy amount.'

He believes the benefits come from the high concentration of Omega-3 fatty acids in nuts and says that unsalted nuts are best.

The results come from the European Prospective Investigation into cancer and nutrition - EPIC - study of almost 400,000 people from ten countries, including 90,000 from Norfolk and Oxford.

They completed food questionnaires and gave

blood samples in the early 1990s which have been followed up to establish links between dietary habits and disease.

In the latest analysis, nut consumption was studied in 1,200 people who died of a heart attack and compared with people who are still alive.

The results were presented yesterday at the World Congress of Cardiology in Barcelona.

Professor Riboli, professor of cancer epidemiology at Imperial College, London, said all nuts were counted in the assessment, including peanuts, which are actually legumes.

He warned that eating nuts could not make up for an unhealthy lifestyle. 'There is no point sitting in front of the TV, being obese and having high blood pressure, and expecting a handful of nuts to protect you from heart disease,' he said.

Earlier analysis of EPIC data found eating nuts was linked to a lower risk of bowel cancer.

Separate data presented at the meeting showed that nuts can lower cholesterol, reduce inflammation and improve the functioning of arteries.

Most watched News videos