Maastricht University researchers found that a 23% lower chance of death, during the 10-year study in people eating at least 10g (0.3 oz) of nuts or peanuts a day. Nuts consists of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, various vitamins, fibre,   antioxidants and other bio-active compounds.

Around 120,000 Dutchs aged 55 to 69, both men and women provided their dietary and lifestyle information in 1986 and then their mortality rate was taken after 10 years. The study revealed that the premature mortality risk from cancer, diabetes, respiratory and neuro-degenerative diseases is lower among the people who were consuming nuts.

There was an average 23% lower risk across all diseases, with a decrease of around  45% for neuro-degenerative disease, 39% for respiratory disease and 30% for diabetes.

Prof Piet van den Brandt, who led the study, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology said, "It was remarkable that substantially lower mortality was already observed at consumption levels of 15g of nuts or peanuts on average per day."

By Premji