In the first study of its kind, eating nuts, including peanuts, has been linked to fewer deaths across ethnic groups, even for people who had metabolic conditions like morbid obesity or diabetes, were smokers, or drank alcohol.

“Nuts in particular have fiber, which can help lower LDL cholesterol, supply ample vitamin E, and even have L-arginine, all of which keep your arteries healthy and free of plaque buildup,” says says John Day, MD, a cardiologist and director of Heart Rhythm Services at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah. “If you can keep your arteries healthy you will be less likely to suffer many chronic medical conditions.”