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Nut consumption may reduce mortality rate
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A new analysis indicates that consumption of nuts may have a dose-dependent, beneficial effect on mortality related to all causes, CVD and cancer.
Researchers evaluated data from 76,464 women enrolled in the prospective Nurses’ Health Study (1980-2010) and 42,498 men enrolled in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986-2010). Frequency of nut consumption was measured in the cohorts at baseline and every 2 to 4 years, based on responses to validated food-frequency questionnaires.
During 30 years of follow-up in the Nurses’ Health Study and 24 years of follow-up in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, 16,200 women and 11,229 men died, respectively. Multivariate analysis indicated significantly reduced risk for mortality among those who reported eating nuts, with a significantly greater risk reduction with increased frequency of consumption.
Across the two studies, the pooled HRs for death based on frequency of nut consumption, compared with no nut intake, were:
- 0.93 (95% CI, 0.9-0.96) for less than once a week;
- 0.89 (95% CI, 0.86-0.93) for once a week;
- 0.87 (95% CI, 0.83-0.9) for two to four times a week;
- 0.85 (95% CI, 0.79-0.91) for five to six times a week;
- 0.8 (95% CI, 0.73-0.85) for seven or more times a week.
Analysis of death due to specific causes indicated significant, dose-dependent associations between nut consumption and reduced risk for mortality due to CVD (adjusted HR ranging from 0.84 [95% CI, 0.78-0.9] for less than one serving a week to 0.75 [95% CI, 0.62-0.84] for five or more servings a week), heart disease (HR range from 0.84 [95% CI, 0.77-0.91] to 0.71 [95% CI, 0.63-0.81]), cancer (HR range from 0.93 [95% CI, 0.88-0.98] to 0.89 [95% CI, 0.81-0.99]) and respiratory illness (HR range from 0.95 [95% CI, 0.84-1.08] to 0.76 [95% CI, 0.59-0.98]). Results did not significantly change after excluding patients with extremely high or low BMI, who smoked and had diabetes. Adjustment for sodium and olive oil intake or adherence to a Mediterranean diet also did not affect results.
The researchers noted that the associations between nut consumption and mortality risk persisted in analysis of both peanuts and tree nuts, specifically.
“In two large, prospective US cohorts, we found a significant, dose-dependent inverse association between nut consumption and total mortality, after adjusting for potential confounders,” the researchers concluded. “… Inverse associations were observed for most major causes of death, including heart disease, cancer and respiratory diseases. … Nonetheless, epidemiologic observations establish associations, not causality, and not all findings from observational studies have been confirmed in controlled, randomized clinical trials.”
Disclosure: The study was supported by grants from NIH and the International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research and Educational Foundation. See the study for a full list of relevant financial disclosures.
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