Eating at least 20 grams of nuts a day could help cut a person's risk of a wide range of diseases, including heart disease and cancer, according to a study published Monday in the journal BMC Medicine.

A team led by researchers from Imperial College London and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology analyzed 29 relevant studies from around the world involving over 800,000 participants.

Despite the fact that some variation existed between the populations that were studied, nut consumption was found to be associated with a reduction in disease risk across most of them, according to the study.

The team found that an average of at least 20 grams of nut consumption daily could lead to the lowering of people's risk of coronary heart disease, cancer and premature death by nearly 30 percent, 15 percent and 22 percent respectively.

Such nut consumption could also help cut the risk of dying from respiratory disease by about 50 percent, and diabetes by nearly 40 percent, said the researchers. But they also noted that there was less data about these diseases in relation to nut consumption.

"We found a consistent reduction in risk across many different diseases, which is a strong indication that there is a real underlying relationship between nut consumption and different health outcomes,"said co-atuhor Dagfinn Aune from the Imperial College London.

"Nuts and peanuts are high in fibre, magnesium, and polyunsaturated fats - nutrients that are beneficial for cutting cardiovascular disease risk and which can reduce cholesterol levels,"Aune also said. Endit

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