Walnuts can Keep Older People's Mind Sharper

Regularly adding some walnuts to older people's diet can keep memory problems at bay, reports a new study. The findings of the study are published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Eating walnuts may help slow cognitive //decline in at-risk groups of the elderly population, according to a study conducted by researchers in California and Spain.

Eating Walnuts Improves Performance on Cognitive Function Tests
Eating walnuts may improve performance on cognitive function tests, including those for memory, concentration and information processing speed.

‘Nutty solution for brain health: Eating walnuts may prevent cognitive decline in at-risk groups of the elderly population.’
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The Walnuts and Healthy Aging Study found that walnut consumption by healthy, elderly adults had little effect on cognitive function over two years, but it had greater effect on elderly adults who had smoked more and had a lower baseline neuropsychological test scores.

The study examined nearly 640 free-living elders in Loma Linda, California, USA, and in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. For two years, the test group included walnuts in their daily diet, and the control group abstained from walnuts.

Walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acids and polyphenols, which have previously been found to counteract oxidative stress and inflammation, both of which are drivers of cognitive decline.

Walnuts can Boost Your Gut and Heart Health
Nutty treat: Eating walnuts every day as part of a healthy diet could be a good way to boost gut health and reduce the risk of developing heart disease. So, hurry up, let's go nuts to improve gut and heart health.

Joan Sabaté, MD, DrPH, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Loma Linda University School of Public Health and the study's principal investigator, said this was the largest and most well-controlled trial ever conducted on the effects of nuts on cognition.

"While this was a minor result, it could lead to better outcomes when conducted over longer periods of time," Sabaté said. "Further investigation is definitely warranted based on our findings, especially for disadvantaged populations, who may have the most to gain from incorporating walnuts and other nuts into their diet."

Eating Walnuts Can Reduce Depression Symptoms
Good news to all walnut lovers: Eating walnuts every day can fight depression symptoms, reveals a new study.

Sabaté and his research team at Loma Linda University were the first to discover the cholesterol-lowering effect of nut consumption -- specifically walnuts -- with lowering blood cholesterol. Findings were first published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1993.

Subsequently, findings from Loma Linda University researchers have linked nut consumption to lower risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Nutritious Almond and Walnut Recipes
Including nuts in your every day diet can improve health. Here are some nutritious recipes with the goodness of almonds and walnuts.

Source-Eurekalert