Nuts are a fast, healthy, and tasty snack, and according to new research, they could lower your risk of dying from colon cancer. The research suggests that adding more tree nuts to your diet decreases your chances of dying from colon cancer and developing the condition again.

The study, to be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting in June, found that people who ate 2 ounces or more of nuts a week were 46 percent less likely to have a colon cancer recurrence than patients who ate fewer nuts. In addition, the study found that patients who ate nuts were 53 percent less likely to die from their disease than patients who didn’t. The benefit was only for patients who ate tree nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, and pecans, and did not include patients who consumed peanuts, as these belong to the legume family, Business Insider reported.

These results are based on a study that first began in 1999 as a way to understand how people’s diet affected their colon cancer during treatment. The findings are positive, suggesting that adding more nuts to your diet could be an easy way to keep colon health in check, BI reported.

Read: Benefits Of Nuts: Eating 10 Grams Of Nuts And Peanuts A Day Lowers Death Risk Of Major Causes

Tree nuts are not just beneficial for those being treated for colon cancer. A 2013 study found that eating tree nuts may actually help to prolong lifespan. The study also found that diets higher in nuts led to about a 29 percent reduced risk of death from heart disease, and an 11 percent reduced chance of dying from cancer. Unlike the benefits for colon cancer, these health benefits also existed for individuals who ate peanuts.

And if you’re worried that eating more nuts may lead to weight gain, you can snack away well assured that the same research also found that individuals who ate more nuts actually tended to be thinner than those with nut-less diets.

However, the research noted that it may not be the nuts that have such a positive effect on people’s overall health, but rather the type of individual most likely to eat a large amount of nuts. For example, according Medical News Today, people who eat nuts are less likely to be overweight, smoke and drink excessive amounts of alcohol, and more likely to be physically active and also consume large amounts of fruits and vegetables. In addition, the recent study emphasized that eating nuts is not an alternative for cancer treatment, and that nuts alone cannot cure or prevent the illness.

"Ultimately, we need to understand how nuts confer this protective effect, as well as possibly conduct a randomized, controlled clinical trial where diet recommendations are given at the start of the study to prove that tree nuts can reduce recurrence and death after treatment for colon cancer," ASCO member Dr. Daniel Hayes said in a media briefing, Business Insider reported.

See Also:

Healthy Diet Tip: Daily Handful Of Nuts Can Reduce Your Risk Of Heart Disease, Cancer, And Other Diseases

Pine Nut Health Benefits: 5 Ways The Nutritious Seed Can Rejuvenate Your Body