Research

Mixed

Consuming nuts two or more times per week is inversely associated with total mortality and mortality from heart disease, cancer, and respiratory disease compared to never consuming nuts.

To support long-term health and reduce mortality risk, aim to eat a serving of nuts (about 1 ounce or 28 grams) at least twice a week. This can include tree nuts (almonds, walnuts, etc.) or peanuts. Consistency matters more than the specific type, as both showed similar benefits. This habit is associated with lower risks of death from heart disease, cancer, and respiratory issues.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
In two large prospective U.S. cohorts, we found a significant, dose-dependent inverse association between nut consumption and total mortality... As compared with participants who did not eat nuts, those who consumed nuts seven or more times per week had a 20% lower death rate. Inverse associations were observed for most major causes of death, including heart disease, cancer, and respiratory diseases.
Ying Bao et al. · New England Journal of Medicine · 2013

Why this rating

Large prospective cohorts (NHS and HPFS) with 30 years of follow-up and rigorous adjustment for confounders, though observational design limits causal inference.

Source

Association of Nut Consumption with Total and Cause-Specific Mortality

Ying Bao et al. · New England Journal of Medicine · 2013

DOI 10.1056/nejmoa1307352

cohort · n=118962Cited 356×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →