Why Nuts? Go Nuts Go Health:   

Nut consumption has decreased in Australia over the past 20 year. This might be because people believe nuts are high in fat. However, recent studies have shown that nuts can protect against heart disease and, possibly, diabetes. If eaten as part of a healthy diet, they do not appear to contribute to overweight or obesity. In one study, eating a handful of nuts five times per week was found to halve the risk of heart disease.

Nuts and heart disease:

Low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is considered the ‘bad’ cholesterol. It can contribute to the build-up of plaque inside the arteries; this causes them to become narrow (atherosclerosis) and can lead to heart disease.
Increases in LDL cholesterol are mainly caused by saturated fats. Eating nuts seems to help lower LDL cholesterol levels and help to maintain healthy blood vessels. This may have something to do with their high content of mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, antioxidant phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals, the vitamin folate and the amino acid arginine.

Nutritional make-up of nuts
Nuts and allergy