However, experts cautioned today that salt-covered nuts would not have the same health benefits. Nuts are rich in nutrients and peanuts, although classified as one bean, have nutrients similar to tree nuts.
The new study, led by Dr Xiao-Ou Shu, of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Tennessee, analysed various groups of people.One involved 72,000 low-income black and white men and women living in the US, the other 134,000 men and women living in Shanghai, China.In both groups, men ate more peanuts than women.In the US group, about half of the nuts consumed were peanuts, and in the Chinese group only peanut consumption was considered..
The researchers found that overall, eating nuts reduced the risk of death from heart disease.This was regardless of gender, race, body condition, smoking, alcohol consumption and conditions such as diabetes(糖尿病), high blood pressure and obesity.
In the US, the highest consumption resulted in a risk reduction of 21 per cent. In the Chinese group, it was 17 per cent.
Dr Shu said: 'We observed no significant associations between nut or peanut consumption and risk of death due to cancer and diabetes.She added the findings highlight the large public health impact of nut or peanut consumption in lowering deaths from heart disease - especially for their affordability.
The research was published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Dr Mitchell Katz, deputy editor of the journal, added: 'Of course, peanuts are not really nuts - they are legumes since they grow in bushes, unlike tree nuts.'But who cares if they help us to live longer at an affordable price?'
