As kids we’re warned of the dangers of nuts due to allergies and anaphylactic shock. As adults we’re warned that they’re high in fat content and can contain high amounts of salt. However, recent studies in the UK and other countries have suggested that giving young children small amounts of peanut products can reduce the incidence of allergies developing in childhood drastically.

One study published by Kings College Researchers in 2015 suggested that babies who were exposed to small amounts of peanut-based foods showed an 86% reduction in allergy development prior to the age of 5 (14% compared to 2% following exposure). Now, there’s mounting evidence to suggest that eating small amounts of nuts daily can reduce the risk of developing various types of cancer.

In itself, the anti-malignancy effect of nuts isn’t completely new. However, there is mounting evidence that could change the way we think about nuts.

Walnuts and Brazil nuts seem to have generated particular interest with regards to their cancer defending capabilities. Noted on the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) website, walnuts are distinctly recognized as being the most studied nut for cancer prevention. They contain various chemicals in higher quantities than other nuts such as polyphenols and phytochemical, which have proven antioxidant properties. They are high in ellagitannins (ellagic acid), which have been studied for their positive effect on various tumor types including breast, pancreas, skin, colon and prostate. They also have a wealth of other compounds such as Gamma-tocopherol (Vitamin E type), Alpha-linolenic acid (Omega-3 fatty acid), phytosterols and melatonin.

Brazil nuts differ in that they have high amounts of selenium, an antioxidant trace mineral, which has well-recognized health benefits. A small handful of these little gems can contain as much as 480% GDA of selenium, and surprisingly there is plenty of evidence to support the anti-cancer activity of the element, particularly with regards to prostate cancer. Evidence presented in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in the late 90s reported that long-term dietary supplementation of selenium can deliver a strong reduction in cancer mortality across a wide range of tumors, however specifically within prostate cancer this was suggested to be as high as 42%. Walnuts have also been investigated in mouse-based breast cancer models which have reflected similar results to the prostate cancer study.

You can see that, heading upwards of 40 years, researchers, dieticians and alternative therapists, have been praising the health benefits of nuts and their place in a healthy diet. We’ve highlighted only two types but the suggested benefits extend to many varieties. Although it’s possible to attribute many of these health benefits to many of the chemical compounds that are found in nuts, it’s not clear how the anti-carcinogenic protective mechanisms function at a deeper cellular level.

The good news is that this information has potentially been uncovered. Researchers based in the Department of Nutritional Toxicology at the University of Jena (Germany) have recently reported the outcomes of their work into the onco-protective activity of various types of nuts.

Working on the basis that nuts seem to have demonstrated the ability to reduce the incidence of certain types of colon cancer, the investigators, led by Dr. Wiebke Schlörmann, gained insights into the chemo-preventative effects of five different varieties of nuts including macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios and walnuts. Using a process of fermentation, the nuts were artificially digested in test tubes and the resulting metabolites applied to colon adenoma and primary epithelial colon cell lines.
The outcomes suggested a surprise ability of the nut ferment to disable and detoxify harmful oxidative cancer inducing cells. It seems that the nuts are able to activate our bodies own defenses by increasing the activity of the protective enzymes catalase and superoxide dismutase. Furthermore, they exhibited the ability to initiate apoptosis (programmed cell death) in the colon cancer cells. It seems that the effect takes place at a genetic level as specific types of mRNA were significantly enhanced as well as modulation of other genes, which play a pivotal part in the detoxification cycle and cell proliferation. The multi-pronged attack on the cancer cells has created new insight into the induced activity of nuts at a cellular level.

Published in the journal Molecular Carcinogenesis in February 2017 the article suggests that these effects were exhibited by all types of nuts to a similar extent in colon cancer cells. The research team now plans to compare the effect of roast nuts with that of uncooked ones. As most nuts are sold and consumed after roasting, this has the potential to allow appropriate dietary advice for the best health benefits.