Regular consumption of nuts is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease in women with type 2 diabetes.

Li TY, Brennan AM, Wedick NM, Mantzoros C, Rifai N, Hu FB.

J Nutr. 2009;139(7):1333-1338.

This study examined the association between intake of nuts and incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a cohort of women with type 2 diabetes. For the primary analysis, there were 6,309 women with type 2 diabetes who completed a validated FFQ every 2–4 y between 1980 and 2002 and were without CVD or cancer at study entry.

Results showed that frequent nut and peanut butter consumption was inversely associated with total CVD risk in age-adjusted analyses. After adjustment for conventional CVD risk factors, consumption of at least 5 servings/wk of nuts or peanut butter [serving size, 28 g (1 ounce) for nuts and 16 g (1 tablespoon) for peanut butter] was significantly associated with a lower risk of CVD (relative risk = 0.56; 95% CI: 0.36–0.89). These data suggest that frequent nut and peanut butter consumption is associated with a significantly lower CVD risk in women with type 2 diabetes.