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Here’s something to go nuts over.

Eating just a handful of this healthy snack a day could stave off a scary syndrome that affects a whopping 1 in 3 Americans, according to a new study in the journalNutrition Research.

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that includes at least three of the following: high blood pressure, high blood sugar, elevated triglycerides, poor HDL cholesterol and excessive belly fat.

People who have metabolic syndrome are at heightened risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and heart disease — and recent studies have even linked the collection of conditions to dementia and poor cognitive health.

“Evidence suggests that people with metabolic syndrome are three times as likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke and twice as likely to die from coronary heart disease compared to people without this condition,” lead study author Emily Ho, director of the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University,said in a statement.

“Poor diet and inactivity contribute to the development of metabolic syndrome, and gut health and chronic inflammation may also play roles.”

Luckily, the study found that consuming two daily ounces ofalmonds— roughly 45 nuts — translated to significant drops in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and waist circumference.

In a 12-week clinical trial, researchers analyzed the data of two groups of people 35 to 60 years old with metabolic syndrome.

One group ate 320 calories worth of almonds every day, while the other group had 320 calories worth of crackers.

As expected, bloodwork showed that the almond group had much higher levels of vitamin E — an antioxidant that calms inflammation and supports heart, nerve and muscle health.

The almond group also saw reductions in gut inflammation, which is important because abalanced microbiomeis crucial for overall and long-term health.

There are many reasons why almonds could benefit gut health, said study co-author Laura Beaver, a research associate in the Oregon State College of Health.

“In addition to vitamin E, almonds have polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, fiber, polyphenols, biotin, copper, potassium and magnesium,” she said.

“A full assessment of the nutritional impact of almonds is ongoing, but the changes in cholesterol levels we saw suggest that a metabolic shift occurred in people who snacked on almonds daily.”

The findings align with previous studies touting the health benefits of this popular nut.

A 2023 study found that eating a handful of nuts a day canslash the risk of heart diseaseby as much as 25%.

Some research has shown thatalmonds can help fight wrinkles, not least of all because only one ounce of almonds provides about 50% of the daily recommended intake for vitamin E.

And a study out of Spain suggests eating 30 grams of nuts every day can helplower the risk of depressionin adults.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -China's Huawei Technologies is capable of producing no more than 200,000 advanced artificial intelligence chips in 2025, a top U.S. exports controls official told lawmakers on Thursday, warning that though the number is below the company's demand, China is quickly catching up to U.S. capabilities.

Since 2019, a slew of U.S. export rules aimed at curbing China's technological and military advancements have limited access by Huawei and other Chinese firms to high-end U.S. chips and the equipment needed to produce them. The issue has become a flashpoint in U.S.-China relations.

Facing those restrictions, Huawei aims to ship its Ascend 910C AI chips to Chinese customers as an alternative to those made by the United States' Nvidia, the global leader.

"Our assessment is that Huawei Ascend chip production capacity for 2025 will be at or below 200,000 and we project that most or all of that will be delivered to companies within China," Jeffrey Kessler, Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security at the Commerce Department, told a congressional hearing.

Kessler said that the U.S. should not take comfort in the figure.

"China is investing huge amounts to increase its AI chip production, as well as the capabilities of the chips that it produces. So, it's critical for us not to have a false sense of security, to understand that China is catching up quickly," he told the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs South and Central Asia subcommittee.

White House AI Czar David Sacks said on Tuesday that China was only 3-6 months behind the U.S. in AI. The White House later said he was referring to China's AI models, adding that Chinese AI chips are one to two years behind their U.S. counterparts.

Huawei's CEO Ren Zhengfei told Chinese state media on Tuesday that the company's chips were a generation behind those of U.S. competitors, but that it invests more than $25 billion annually to improve performance.

Nvidia's AI chips are more powerful than Huawei's but Washington's export controls on its most sophisticated chips have caused it to lose market share.

The U.S. and China reached a tentative trade truce at talks in London this week after a previous agreement faltered over China's continued curbs on minerals exports.

That prompted the Trump administration to apply additional export controls on shipments of semiconductor design software, jet engines for Chinese-made planes and other goods.

Democratic Representative Greg Meeks expressed concern that the Trump administration had conflated U.S. exports controls with broader discussions on trade.

"What I will say is export controls have been strong and I'm confident that they will remain strong," Kessler said.

Kessler said he was not planning any immediate new restrictions on U.S. semiconductors sold to China, but that the Commerce Department will "remain active in this space."

"It's a constantly evolving landscape, and we need to make sure that our controls remain effective," he said.

(Reporting by Michael Martina, David Shepardson, Karen Freifeld; Editing by Don Durfee and Chizu Nomiyama )