According to new study men diagnosed from prostate cancer may greatly decrease their risk of mortality by eating nuts like almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pistachios and walnuts.

"Prostate cancer should be considered seriously as more men are prone to such diseases," said lead researcher Ying Bao from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, US.

The study was condunced by scientists from Harvard University in U.S over a period of 26 years. According to the research, 6800 of the 47,000 men studied got prostate cancer. Nuts didn't prevent the prostate cancer however once you get the disease, they can be the ideal food to help offset an early demise from the disease. The rates of dying from prostate cancer were decreased by 34% among those who ate one ounce serving of nuts five times a week.

"Just 1.5 ounces of nuts per day (about 1/3 cup) can have a positive impact on health," added Maureen Ternus, Executive Director at the International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research & Education Foundation

"These findings add to the growing body of evidence showing that nuts should be part of a healthy diet," Ternus noted.

Nuts have great amount of “tocopherol” which is the scientific name for Vitamin E.

The study says that men had high levels of selenium were 60% less likely to develop advanced prostate cancer within 17 years than men with low selenium levels.

Approximately 1 man in 7 will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. Prostate cancer develops mainly in older men. About 60% are diagnosed in men aged 65 or older, and it is rare before age 40. The average age at the time of diagnosis is about 66.

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, lagging only to lung cancer. About 1 man in 39 will die of prostate cancer.

This study was published on the British Journal of Cancer.