It has been found that men who eat nuts are cutting their risk of dying from prostate cancer by over a third according to a new study published in the British Journal of Cancer.

Scientists from Harvard Medical School conducted the largest ever study looking into diets rich in nuts using 47,000 men over a 26 year period. Out of this group of men, 6800 were identified as suffering from prostate cancer.

The researchers, including lead researcher Ying Bao from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, US., found eating a daily portion of any kind of nut reduced the risk of death by 34 percent but found no prevention from the cancer developing in the first place. 

“Patients who consumed nuts five or more times per week had a 34 percent lower rate of overall mortality compared with those who consumed less than once per month. This suggests nuts, although not associated with being diagnosed with cancer, may still improve the overall survival of patients,” the study stated.

It is thought nuts are rich in a type of vitamin E and phytochemicals both of which help to combat cancer and eating these five times a week produced the significant results. Recommended portions are 1 ounce or 28 grams of any kind of nut including walnuts, cashews, almonds, hazelnuts and pistachios. As an added bonus, a diet rich in nuts can also protect against heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

According to the American Society of Cancer, prostate cancer is one of the biggest killers in men other than skin cancer with 180,890 new cases and 26,120 deaths expected in the U.S. this year.