The health benefits of nuts continue to make news.
A feature on nuts in the May edition of Tufts University's Health & Nutrition letter says "nuts should be part of a healthy dietary pattern" because nuts contain healthful fats.
Tufts says nuts "deliver a lot of nutrition in a small package." Noshing in moderation on Brazil nuts, almonds cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pistachios and walnuts can lower cholesterol. and lead to lower rates of chronic ailments like heart disease. In addition, people who eat nuts are eating them instead of foods like chips and pretzels and are "less likely to be diagnosed with diabetes," Tufts says.
How much is enough? A serving of 1 to 2 ounces per day is suggested. Though nuts have healthful fats, they also have a lot of calories. A 1-ounce serving, depending on the nut, has 160 to 200 calories.
