A new study has shown that those who eat tree nuts, including cashews, walnuts and pistachios, were slimmer and had lower BMIs than non consumers.   They had higher levels of good cholesterol and lower levels of the proteins linked to inflammation and heart disease.

Professor Carol O'Neil and her team from Louisiana State University looked at data from more than 13,000 men and women, with 'tree nut consumers' classed as those who ate more than quarter of an ounce a day.
Eating nuts was also associated with greater intake of whole grains , fruits and lower levels of alcohol and added sugar.

In light of this new data, the American FDA has issued a qualified health claim for nuts and heart disease with a recommended intake of 1.5 ounces of nuts per day.
 

Source: Daily Telegraph   ;   Journal of the American College of Nutrition