There’s an extra reason to enjoy eating nuts - researchers now believe that 30g a day may cut the risk of depression by 17%.
The results of a recent study by academics at the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain suggests that just a daily handful of nuts could deliver a positive effect on mental health.
Published in journal Clinical Nutrition and led by scientist Bruno Bizzozero-Peroni, the study reported that “regular low-tomoderate consumption of nuts is associated with a lower risk of depression compared with nonnut consumption”.
As part of the research more than 13,500 people in the UK aged between 37 and 73, who did not have depression at the start of the study, had their nut consumption recorded.
Depression was defined as the participant reporting that a doctor or psychiatrist had diagnosed them with depression or prescribed anti-depressants.
Participants were assessed for depression at the start and the follow-up stages of the study which ran from 2007 to 2020. And only 8% developed depression.
Mr Bizzozero-Peroni added: “Our findings highlight yet another benefit of consuming nuts, with a 17% decrease in depression associated with nut consumption.
“Our results highlight the potential role of nut consumption as a healthy dietary behaviour to prevent depression in those free of other known risk factors such as obesity, unhealthy lifestyle behaviours, loneliness and medical conditions.”
Salted, unsalted and roasted nuts were all included in the data. More information available at www.clinicalnutritionjournal.com.
Fast Fact:
Your daily 30g serving of nuts can be made up of roughly the equivalent of 40 peanuts, 10 Brazil nuts, 20 almonds, 15 cashews, or 30 pistachio kernels.
