If the saying, “you are what you eat” is correct, then it is time you get a bit more nutty, because it could help you live a healthier life.
That is the advice from Australian scientists who found that regularly eating nuts helped older adults maintain a healthy lifespan and the results could guide health professionals to assist those with a poorer diet in the future.
Researchers from Monash University looked at data from almost 10,000 older adults and found that those who frequently ate nuts, regardless of what type or form, lived longer without dementia or persistent disability, compared to those who never or infrequently ate nuts.
Lead author Holly Wild said while the study took into account poor oral health and diet, the data still showed that eating nuts remained positively associated with a healthy lifespan in later life.
“Nuts can be a good choice for a snack or as part of a meal, even if your diet might not be optimal in other ways,” Wild said.
“If you are wanting to incorporate more nuts into your diet, nuts are available in multiple different forms in supermarkets these days, including whole nuts, chopped or crushed nuts, nuts meals, and nut butters or pastes.
“The latter options may be much more accessible to those with oral health issues, and chopped nuts can be added to salads, cereals and smoothies.”
The research team used data from the ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons (ALSOP), a questionnaire-based national sub-study that looks at aspirin consumption and health in older adults.
The team then examined the reported eating habits of 9,916 participants aged over 70 years old and found that the best came from eating a mixture of nuts as participants enjoyed the benefits of a variety of vitamins and nutrients found in different nut types.
“Nuts are a great way to incorporate protein and nutrients into our diet in a more sustainable way,” Wild said.
“For this reason, nut consumption has been recommended by leading scientists as part of the Eat Lancet Commission report for planetary health.”
However, she advised that over-eating nuts was not advised and pointed out that current Australian Dietary Guidelines suggest that adults should be consuming 30 grams of nuts, or 1/3 of a cup (or a small handful) or approximately two tablespoons of nut butter on most days of the week.
For scale, Wild said a ‘handful’ worked out to be around 25 almonds, 10 walnuts or 40 peanuts.
She also advised storing nuts in an airtight container in a cool, dark place to maintain freshness and taste and said nuts have the highest nutritional content when fresh.
Adding a small amount of nuts to your diet could be an easy way to improve your health, but it’s not the only change that could transform your lifestyle.
In a study published in JAMA Network Open, more than 92,000 adults were observed over a 28 year period consuming at least 7 grams of olive oil per day.
Initially, participants were 56 years of age on average – 60,600 were women who participated in the Nurses Health Study from 1990 to 2018 while nearly 32,000 men who’d been in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study at the same time were also included.
Both studies investigated risk factors for chronic diseases in both men and women. Researchers from the latest study reviewed participants’ diets over a four-year period through a survey and the Alternative Healthy Eating Index.
The participants had to replace 5 grams of margarine or mayonnaise with a daily dose of olive oil.
The results of the study found that this replacement was linked with a eight per cent to 14 per cent lower risk of death by dementia.
In a statement study coauthor Anne-Julie Tessier, a research associate in nutrition at Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said, “Our study reinforces dietary guidelines recommending vegetable oils such as olive oil and suggests that these recommendations not only support heart health but potentially brain health.”
“Opting for olive oil, a natural product, instead of fats such as margarine and commercial mayonnaise, is a safe choice and may reduce the risk of fatal dementia,” Tessier added.
IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.