A large study suggests that eating peanuts as well as tree nuts is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.

Most of the studies linking health benefits of tree nuts were conducted among European descendent and population of high socioeconomic status. This new study recently published in JAMA Internal Medicine indicates that men and women, primarily of lower socioeconomic status from US (71, 764) and Shanghai (134,265) which consumed some tree nuts, but primarily peanuts get the same benefits. The consumption of peanuts is associated with reduced total mortality and cardiovascular disease mortality present across all racial and socioeconomic status.

The authors mention that the finding is “based on an observational study” and not clinical trial, therefore they could not determine whether peanuts are specifically responsible for a lower risk of death. Nevertheless, the group who ate the most nuts, peanuts and peanut butter reduced their risk of early death from heart disease and all other causes by about 20 percent, compared to the group eating the least.

Peanuts, which are legumes, are inexpensive and are rich in nutrients. Although peanuts may be beneficial to your cardiovascular system, you need to be cautious as peanuts are high in calories and careful with the salted ones as they might increase your daily salt intake.

You might want to add a small handful of nuts as part of your well-balanced diet…peanuts may be beneficial to your heart, but do not go nuts…

For more detail of the study please read here.