A new study has further backed up the health impact just a handful of nuts can have on our health especially in reducing risk of death from heart disease.

Researchers from Imperial College London and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology analyzed data from various studies  from over 800,000 participants and found that those who ate a daily handful of nuts such as walnuts, peanuts, almonds, pecans and hazelnuts, had a 30 percent less risk of dying from heart disease and a 15 percent reduced risk of dying from cancer.

In addition, there was also a 52 percent reduced risk for respiratory disease, 39 percent for diabetes and 75 percent reduced risk for infectious disease making it a surefire way to boost health.

The secret is not eating too much. Nuts are high in fat and researchers found the more nuts eaten didn’t increase the preventative effects that nuts provide. The recommended daily amount is about one ounce.

“It has been shown in randomized trials that higher nut intake can reduce triglycerides and cholesterol in the blood,” said the lead author, Dagfinn Aune, a research fellow at Imperial College London. “And nuts are high in fiber, antioxidants and polyunsaturated fats.”

“Some nuts, particularly walnuts and pecan nuts are also high in antioxidants, which can fight oxidative stress and possibly reduce cancer risk,” says Aune. “Even though nuts are quite high in fat, they are also high in fiber and protein, and there is some evidence that suggests nuts might actually reduce your risk of obesity over time.”

For those that are looking for a good daily snack – assuming you don’t have a nut allergy – it may be a good time to start eating nuts as your new year habit.

Details of the findings were published in the journal BMC Medicine.