Nuts drop risk of death due to a variety of different diseases. Nuts have been in the limelight recently as purveyors of all sorts of health benefits. A new study out this week adds to the list of reasons to chow down. “Researchers looked at data from 120,000 men and women aged 55 to 69 who participated in the Netherlands Cohort study. Participants were asked questions about how frequently they ate tree nuts, peanuts, and peanut butter, and how much they consumed. Compared to those not eating any nuts or peanuts, the relative reductions in mortality rate for people who consumed at least 10 grams of nuts or peanuts per day were 23 percent regarding total mortality risk (all deaths), 21 percent for cancer, 17 percent for cardiovascular deaths, and 39 percent for respiratory deaths. Ten grams of nuts equals less than a half handful and eating more than 15 grams was not associated with further reduction in mortality risk. To support their findings, the researchers also conducted a meta-analysis of previously published studies on the effect of nut consumption on cancer and respiratory mortality. The research showed a similar pattern.” Unfortunately, the benefits didn’t extend to nut butters, so it’s best to stick to whole nuts for your daily dose.