Here’s a solid piece of research that’s easy to adopt and could help our health and our total quality-of-life experience. Comments afterwards
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Regular nut consumption after this
age wards off dementia and disease
NEW ATLAS
November 21, 2024
Nuts notch up another win a new study showing
their power to keep people healthy after the age of 70
Adding another plus in the “nuts are good for you” column, new research shows that regular consumption of the superfood not only holds off death, but it also keeps the mind sharp and limits persistent disability. But age was a factor in the study.
In the world of nutrition, nuts are a bit of a show off. In addition to their well-known abilities to improve cardiovascular health, the tiny protein-packed snack has also been shown to improve sperm count and motility, and fight obesity, diabetes, and inflammation. Plus the magnesium they contain has been linked to warding off DNA damage, while their omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids have been shown to reduce the risk of 19 types of cancer.
Now, a new study from Monash University
has given nuts another public relations boost.
A team of researchers there looked at data from the ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons. While the ostensible purpose of the ASPREE study is to look at aspirin’s effects in older adults (the acronym stands for ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly), the effort has produced an impressive database of multiple health markers across populations in Australia and the United States. Information from this database has previously been used in a study that showed the potential for “good” cholesterol to adversely affect dementia; one that found a relationship between having close family and friends and reducing heart disease risk by up to 30%; and another that highlighted which activities are best for warding off cognitive decline.
For the most recent study, the Monash researchers examined the records of 9,916 Australians over the age of 70 who had completed a 49-item food-frequency questionnaire. After screening out other factors, they found that those who reported eating a handful of nuts as part of their diet either once or twice per day had a better chance of enjoying disease-free survival than those who reported no or very little nut consumption. Study first author Holly Wild told us …
“The endpoint of disability free survival is
a composite measure that is recorded
when participants in the study report
an event of dementia, persistent phys-
ical disability or all-cause mortality.
“In this study we established that
daily nut consumers were 23% less
likely to record these events compared
to those that consumed nuts rarely or
infrequently, and thus more likely
to live longer free from dementia
and persistent physical disability.”
Of note, the type of nuts people reported consuming wasn’t specific, so the study hints at the idea that any assortment of the snack would be a good addition to the diets of older people.
As far as what a handful of nuts looks like, Wild had this advice:
“What 30 grams of nuts looks like depends
on the type of nut, but typically a ‘handful’
is equivalent to around 25 almonds, 10
walnuts or 40 peanuts. 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 store
in an airtight container in a cool,
dark place to maintain freshness.”
The study has been published in the journal Age and Ageing.
Source: Monash University
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For most of us, eating more nuts – and nuts we enjoy the most – seems like a no-brainer recommendation. I’ve always enjoyed eating nuts, until … I had bout of diverticulitis.
Our GI tract evidently is smoother when we’re young and gets bumpier as we age. The problem: a particle of food may get caught in a small pocket of the tract. For most foods, that’s not a problem; our body’s acids will break down those particles. But nuts do not break down as readily. And the particles can then become infected … which can have dire consequences. So …
Since my bout with diverticulitis, I’ve had to stay away from eating nuts – except as part of smooth, not chunky, peanut butter. This article has inspired me to resume eating – and enjoying – nuts, though we’ll put them in our blender so that the resulting particles are so small that they won’t get caught up in my GI tract.
Adding D’s comments …
“This is a simple yet proven small gesture that you can do for yourself to
increase your health. Part of the recommendation is to have nuts every day.
And that is going to be key to maintaining the benefits. We recommend a
small handful twice a day, more or less for the rest of your life. Don’t go nuts.
(Or should we say: Go nuts! “
As a small anecdote …
In WWII, the German army, in the “Battle of the Bulge,” sent a surrender ultimatum to the American commander of the surrounded Belgian town, Bastogne, Brigadier General Anthony McAuliffe. His famous reply was “Nuts!” Actually, there might be a little-known possibility that the general may have just been responding to his staff, who wanted to know what they should be eating during the stressful siege to maintain their health and avoid an early onset of dementia. But … that’s difficult to confirm.
