The snack that’s GOOD for your heart, according to doctors

The snacks are praised for their high fiber, protein and vitamin content.

But eating nuts and seeds daily may also be good for the heart, suggests a study by scientists in Sweden and Norway.

Eating a handful, or about 30 g, of the mixture per day is associated with lower cholesterol and cardiovascular disease, according to the review involving nearly 2 million people.

And it reduces the risk of suffering or dying from a heart attack or stroke by a quarter, according to the team from the University of Oslo and the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.

But they notice that not many people eat this amount of nuts and seeds per day.

Britons eat just 6 grams of nuts and seeds a day, while Americans eat just 1 gram on average.

The researchers reviewed 60 studies, involving 1.9 million participants, to determine whether there was a link between nut and seed consumption and the risk of cardiovascular disease, heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

The study, published in the journal Food and nutritionwas carried out to contribute to new Nordic dietary guidelines.

Results show that those who had a ‘high’ consumption of seeds and nuts, of about 30 g, were 19 percent less likely to develop cardiovascular disease and 23 percent less likely to die from it, compared to those who only consumed ‘low levels ate. .

Nut and seed fanatics were also 18 percent less likely to develop heart disease and 25 percent less likely to die from it.

Erik Arnesen, a research fellow at the University of Oslo and first author of the study, said: ‘If you eat a handful of nuts every day, which is about 30 grams, you are 20 to 25 percent less likely to suffer from heart disease. and vascular disease.

‘In comparison: adults in the Scandinavian countries eat an average of only about 4 grams of nuts per day. Many don’t eat any nuts or seeds at all.’

Almonds, pistachios and walnuts appear to be the best nuts to eat when it comes to lowering cholesterol.

But the study’s author, Mr Arnesen, insisted there is no conclusive evidence that people should be advised to eat certain types of nuts over others.

Instead, he suggests eating “the more the merrier” when it comes to snacking on nuts.

However, the NHS advises eating them in moderation as they are high in fat and calories.

Mr Arnesen said that nuts have a beneficial effect on cholesterol, thus preventing fat from accumulating in the arteries, which is one of the biggest risk factors for heart attacks.

However, the researchers could not confirm whether eating nuts reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes and stroke, as the snacking did not appear to affect blood pressure or blood sugar levels.

Mr Arnesen said: ‘We are not sure about this. Nuts don’t seem to affect blood pressure, which is one of the risk factors for strokes.

“We’re also not sure if nuts are good for blood sugar control, which is linked to the risk of type 2 diabetes.”

One of the reasons why the researchers think nuts are so good for you is the composition of fatty acids in nuts.

Mr Arnesen noted that while previous studies have suggested eating nuts is good for the heart, his study is the largest review on cardiovascular health to date.

Mr Arnesen said: ‘While nuts cannot be used to treat high cholesterol, we believe the effect is significant enough to be used as a preventive measure in the general population.’