The association between nut intake (peanuts, other nuts, and peanut butter) and cholecystectomy was examined prospectively in 80,718 women participating in the Nurses' Health Study who were 30-55 years old in 1980 and had no history of gallstones. During a mean follow-up period of 17.3 years, 7,831 cholecystectomies were performed. After adjustment for age and other known or suspected risk factors, women who consumed five or more ounces of nuts per week had a 25% lower risk of cholecystectomy than women who never ate nuts or who ate less than one ounce per month (p for trend < 0.0001). Further adjustment for fat consumption (saturated fat, trans fat, polyunsaturated fat, and monounsaturated fat) did not materially alter the findings. In analyses examining consumption of peanuts and other nuts separately, both were associated with a lower risk of cholecystectomy.

Comment: These results indicate that frequent nut consumption is associated with a reduced risk of gallbladder disease requiring cholecystectomy. Other studies have shown that eating nuts can help control high blood pressure, reduce serum cholesterol, and lower the risk of heart disease. While nuts are high in fat, intervention studies have shown that incorporating nuts into the diet has little or no effect on body weight. There is now strong evidence that nuts should be considered as an important component of a health-promoting diet.

Tsai CJ, et al. Frequent nut consumption and decreased risk of cholecystectomy in women. Am J Clin Nutr 2004;80:76-81.