The Editor, Sir:

In a study I recently came upon, 'men who nibbled on nuts at least twice a week had a 46 per cent lower chance of dying from an out-of-the-blue heart attack than men who rarely or never ate nuts.'

Saving your own life doesn't get much easier than this. Eat a handful of peanuts twice a week. Or almonds, if you prefer. Men who do this slash their risk of suddenly dying from a heart attack by almost half. Why? It's all about the good fats.

What makes nuts so heart-healthy? Monounsaturated fats - those good-for-you fats that lower bad cholesterol and increases the good, which helps keep your arteries clean and clog-free. Nuts are full of good for you fats, as are olive oil, canola oil, avocados, and flaxseed.

Studies have also found that, the body doesn't absorb all the calories in nuts, thanks to our digestive chemistry. Still, if weight loss is a goal, substitute nuts for other snacks rather than just adding them to your daily diet. A little goes a long way: It only takes a small handful, the rough equivalent of a one-ounce serving, to protect your heart.

If this study as published in Real Age.com is correct, this is good news for the Ministry of Agriculture, RADA, JAS and farmers all over Jamaica to grow more peanuts and market it not only as another food item but as a heart-healthy nut.

I am, etc.,

MICHAEL SPENCE

Micspen2@hotmail.com

P.O. Box 630

Liguanea, Kgn 6