Research Shows Reduced Pancreatic Cancer Risk from Consumption of Pistachios And Other Tree Nuts
Judy Hirigoyen, Director, Global Marketing for American Pistachio Growers released TODAY study results showing that women in a long-term health study who ate tree nuts two or more times a week had a reduced risk of pancreatic cancer, compared to those studied who did not include nuts in their diet. Published in British Journal of Cancer, this is the first study to measure the association between pancreatic cancer risk and nut consumption. Pistachios were among the tree nuts included in the study.
More than 75,600 women were followed in the widely-recognized Nurses’ Health Study. Those who consumed a one-ounce serving of serving of nuts, two or more times per week, significantly reduced their risk of developing pancreatic cancer, the fourth most common cause for cancer-related deaths in the U.S.In addition to pistachios, the nuts consumed included almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts and walnuts. The study also showed that women with more frequent nut consumption were generally leaner, more likely to exercise, and less likely to smoke. Earlier studies have linked tree nut consumption to a reduced risk for diabetes.
The long-running Nurses’ Health Study, from 1980 to 2010, with follow up every two to four years, was funded by research grants from the National Institutes of Health with additional support in part by a micro-grant from the Biomedical Research Institute at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, state cancer registries, and by an International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research & Education Foundation grant for the tree nut component.Pistachios are nutrient rich and full of antioxidants, vitamins, protein and fiber. A one-ounce serving of pistachios equals 49 nuts, more per serving than any other snack nut. They are cholesterol free; contain a significant amount of potassium, 300-mg per serving; and comprised of just 1.5 grams of saturated fat and 13 grams of fat per serving, the majority from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat.
The “Official Snack” of USA Water Polo, and sponsor of other sports, American Pistachio Growers (APG) is a non-profit voluntary agricultural trade association representing and funded entirely by more than 550 grower members in California, Arizona and New Mexico.
