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Snacking on just half a handful of nuts a day can cut the risk of dying from a string of major diseases, a new study reveals, the Daily Mail reports.

Researchers found that eating at least 10g of nuts or peanuts per day led to a lower risk of dying from respiratory disease, such as asthma and emphysema, and neurodegenerative diseases, which includes dementia.

It also reduced the risk of diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular diseases, which include heart attacks and strokes.

The effects were found to be equal in men and women, they revealed.

And people who ate peanuts showed just as strong reductions in mortality as those who ate tree nuts like cashews, almonds, pecans and walnuts, among others.

However, researchers found no protective effect from eating peanut butter.

They explained this may be because the salt and vegetable oils it contains 'cancel out' the beneficial effects of the nuts.

Researchers used data from the Netherlands Cohort Study, which has been running since 1986 among more than 120,000 Dutch men and women, aged 55 to 69.

They assessed how often people ate peanuts, other nuts, and peanut butter, and how much of these foods they consumed.

Then, they analysed the relationship with overall mortality from any cause, and death from a specific cause.

The link between tree nut and peanut consumption and cardiovascular death back up earlier results from American and Asian studies that often focused on cardiovascular diseases.

However, the new study found that mortality due to cancer, diabetes, respiratory, and neurodegenerative diseases was also lowered among people who eat peanuts and tree nuts.