Study: Eating Nuts Every Day Can Help Keep Doctor Away

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- If you're nuts about nuts, a newly-published study suggests they can cut the risk of heart disease, cancer, and other health concerns.

Research from Imperial College London shows a daily serving of nuts, like cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, and almonds, as well as peanuts can reduce the risk of death from diabetes by 40-percent, cut heart disease by 30-percent, and cancer 15-percent.

Study co-author Dagfinn Aune told CBS News he was "a little bit surprised" by the findings. Aune and his team analyzed 20 studies from around the world that included more than 800-thousand patients.

He says nuts could help prevent or delay more than 4 million deaths worldwide.

"It's definitely one of the foods we should be eating more of," he explained.

Nutritionists say nuts are high in important nutrients like poly-unsaturated fats, magnesium, fiber, and protein and can help cut cholesterol.

Ryan Conrad likes to eat healthy and nuts are part of his diet.

"Just a handful of walnuts on my cereal and maybe some almonds for a snack," he said. Conrad says eating nuts helps keep his energy up.

"Having some protein and keeps you full. It keeps me from snacking on other things, honestly, right?"

The study authors found that consuming more than one ounce of nuts a day does not improve health outcomes.