People eating peanuts and nuts two or more times per week have a 47% reduced risk of sudden cardiac death and a 30% reduced risk of coronary heart disease death, compared to those who rarely or never ate them, according to research from the US Physicians’ Health Study.
Go deeper with GlobalData
This large prospective cohort study, which is published in this week’s Archives of Internal Medicine, includes over 21,000 male doctors who were followed for an average of 17 years.
Researchers controlled for known cardiac risk factors, such as age and aspirin intake, and dietary habits, such as supplement usage and fish consumption. Data from the study suggests that increasing nut consumption among men is associated with a significantly reduced risk of sudden cardiac death and fatal coronary heart disease. Interestingly, in this study the relationship between peanut and nut consumption and sudden cardiac death is linear – higher consumption provided a greater protective effect. This is consistent with previous epidemiological data that shows the greatest benefit from consuming five or more servings (one ounce or a small handful) per week.
The Peanut Institute added that large population studies, such as the Adventists Health Study, the Iowa Women’s Health Study and the Harvard Nurses’ Heath Study, all show cardioprotective benefits from peanut and nut consumption. These studies examined the eating patterns of both men and women and found that small, frequent servings of peanuts, nuts, and peanut butter can reduce the risk of heart disease by 25-50%. Part of the beneficial effect may be due to the fatty acid composition of peanuts and nuts, particularly when they replace food sources of saturated fatty acids, as well as carbohydrates, in the diet.
Researchers at Penn State University (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1999) tested diets that included 2-3 servings daily of peanuts or peanut butter, rich in monounsaturated fats (MUFA), and found that total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol was lowered by 11% and 14%, respectively. The higher MUFA diets had the added benefit of maintaining good high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels and lowering triglycerides, both important risk factors for heart disease. Overall, the peanut-rich diets reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease by 21% compared to the average US diet, whereas a low-fat diet reduced the risk by only 12%.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataAlthough they are actually legumes, peanuts are categorized with other nuts when it comes to nutrition research and consumption patterns. According to the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, 68% of the nuts eaten in the US are peanuts and peanut butter.
