Scientists Say This Snack Could Help You Live Longer

Bowls of snacks
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He might've been a buzzkill, but you gotta respect Jimmy Carter for one thing: his snack choice. According to a new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, peanut consumption is associated with fewer deaths from heart disease, and lower mortality across the board.

The team of researchers gathered over 200,000 subjects from the US and China for the study. They discovered that peanut consumption was associated with decreased total mortality -- especially cardiovascular mortality -- regardless of the subject's race or gender. This supports previous research which links nut consumption (insert your own middle school joke here) with lower mortality, though the JAMA Internal Medicine findings are based on a much more diverse sample. Basically that means eating peanuts could be a heart-healthy move for just about anyone, though of course, bacon peanut butter cups probably weren't what the scientists had in mind.

Kristin Hunt is a Food/Drink staff writer for Thrillist, and assumes her wasabi- and soy sauce-flavored almonds will also help her live to 100. Follow her at @kristin_hunt.