Changes in Nut Consumption and Subsequent Cardiovascular Disease Risk Among US Men and Women: 3 Large Prospective Cohort Studies

Year Published: 2020

Journal

J AM Heart Assoc

Authors

Liu X, Guasch-Ferré M, Drouin-Chartier JP, Tobias DK, Bhupathiraju SN, Rexrode KM, Willett WC, Sun Q, Li Y

Methods

This Harvard study looked at the relationship between peanut/tree nut consumption over time and long-term cardiovascular disease risk.

Key Findings

Key Findings: -Eating peanuts regularly/consistently over time decreases heart disease risk. In the study, individuals who decreased nut consumption by ≥0.50 servings/day had a 14% higher risk of cardiovascular disease and 28% higher risk of stroke in 4 years compared to those who maintained regular consumption. -Even for people who were not initially regular peanut/nut consumers, beginning to include them regularly in the diet lowered cardiovascular disease risk over a 4-year time period. -Substituting less healthy food items for nuts like peanuts decreases CVD risk over time.