Good news for everyone whose go-to afternoon snack is a handful of almonds.

According to the Huffington Post, Harvard Medical School researchers found consuming almonds, cashews, and other nuts greatly reduces the risk of developing pancreatic cancer in women. 

The study is based on data from 75,680 women who were part of the Nurses' Health Study, who had never had cancer before. Researchers analyzed their nut consumption, including tree nuts such as hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, walnuts, cashews, pistachios, Brazil nuts and almonds.

The results showed women who consumed a one-ounce serving of nuts at least twice a week were far less likely to develop pancreatic cancer than those who did not. 

"This reduction in risk was independent of established or suspected risk factors for pancreatic cancer including age, height, obesity, physical activity, smoking, diabetes, and dietary factors," said lead researcher Ying Bao, M.D., of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. 

The study, published online in the British Journal of Cancer, received funding from the International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research & Education Foundation. The Foundation did not participate in the design and conduct of the study. 

In addition to the decreased cancer risk, nut-eaters also tended to weigh less than the non-nut-eaters, researchers found. Past studies have also shown nuts are loaded with beneficial nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, that have been linked to better mental functioning and a lower risk of diabetes.

Tree nut consumption has also been associated with decreased risks for heart disease, metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes. And one study even linked walnut consumption with better semen quality for men.

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death in the U.S.