Only two servings a week of eight grams of nuts, enough to cover a small plate, can reduce the risk by as much as 11 per cent, according to a study presented to the World Congress of Cardiology.

Almonds, walnuts, cashews and Brazil nuts were included in the study, as well as peanuts, which are legumes.

Surprisingly, eating a small amount of nuts five days a week led to only minimal weight gain, another survey showed.

The new nut analysis is part of a huge European study started nearly 10 years ago, which is looking into the links between diet and cancer and heart disease.

When other risk factors, such as smoking and obesity, were taken into account the risk of heart disease was much lower in those who ate nuts, said Prof Elio Riboli, professor of cancer epidemiology at Imperial College, London.

"Put another way you could say that a modest consumption of nuts contributed to reducing myocardial infarction [heart attack]," he was quoted by the Telegraph, as saying.

"But there is no point sitting in front of the TV, being obese and having high blood pressure and expecting nuts to protect you against a heart attack.

Dr Emilo Ros, of the Lipid Clinic, University of Barcelona, said weight gain had been looked at in another study, when people added nuts to their normal diet.

Over six months on the nut diet people put on only a pound on average, when it would have been expected that they would have increased their weight by about 10lbs because of the added calories. (ANI)