Looking for a nutty way to improve your health? Nuts offer a wealth of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients in a compact, portable, and tasty package. Scientific research indicates that nuts can help prevent or fight a number of diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and macular degeneration. Moderation seems to be the key, and a handful every day provides health benefits. So enjoy them daily — just don’t go nuts — and help protect yourself against the following eight ailments.
1. Heart disease
A study of 31,000 Seventh-day Adventists at Loma Linda University in California found that eating a serving of nuts daily (about a quarter of a cup – or one handful) lowered the risk of heart attack by up to 60 percent when compared with those who ate nuts less than once a month. The Iowa Women's Healthy Study found that women who ate a serving of nuts more than four times a week lowered their risk of dying of heart disease by 430 percent. Another study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health found similar results, and the Physician’s Health Study found that men who ate nuts at least twice a week reduced their risk of sudden cardiac death.
