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Regular consumption of nuts is associated with maintaining a healthy lifespan , new research from a Monash University-led team has found .
Published in the Journal Age and Ageing , the researchers said the findings may help guide older individuals and their health professionals in making dietary choices that can support health in older age , including in those whose diet quality may not be optimal .
The study involved 9,916 adults aged over 70 years , who reported on their usual diet as part of the ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons ( ALSOP ) sub-study .
Those who reported frequent consumption of nuts , including every day or several times a day , regardless of the type or form of nut , lived longer without dementia or persistent disability , compared to those who never or infrequently consumed nuts .
First author Holly Wild , a PhD candidate and lecturer from the Monash University School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine , said that nuts were a good source of protein , micronutrients , unsaturated fats , fibre and energy , but whole nuts can be difficult to eat for those with poor oral health or chewing difficulties .
“ Our study was able to account for
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poor oral health and other foods that people usually ate , and after adjusting for these and other factors , 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 ,” Ms 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 .
“ However , we do recommend keeping salted nuts and candied and chocolate covered nuts to a minimum .”
The current Australian Dietary Guidelines suggest that adults should be consuming 30 grams of nuts , which is equivalent to 1 / 3 of a cup or a small handful , or approximately two tablespoons of nut butter on most days of the week , though previous research has reported that Australian adults over 65 years only average between 4-4.6 grams per day .
“ What 30 grams of nuts looks like depends on the type of nut , but typically
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a ‘ handful ’ is equivalent to around 25 almonds , 10 walnuts or 40 peanuts ,” Ms Wild said .
“ Choosing a mixture of nuts means you get the benefits of the varying amounts of nutrients found in different types of nuts . Nuts taste best and have the highest nutritional content when fresh , so
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store in an airtight container in a cool , dark place to maintain freshness .
“ Nuts are a great way to incorporate protein and nutrients into our diet in a more sustainable way . For this reason , nut consumption has been recommended by leading scientists as part of the Eat Lancet Commission report for planetary health .”
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