A study of more than 50,000 participants in the UK Biobank found that people who ate a handful of nuts every day had a lower risk of developing dementia. The risk of developing dementia was 16% lower in those who reported consuming about 30 grams of nuts per day compared to those who were older than 60 and did not consume nuts. If nuts were consumed without salt, the risk reduction rate reached 17%.
The positive effect of plant brains in reducing the risk of dementia seems to be good news; But there are some important points to consider. The results cited were obtained in people who were not considered obese, had adequate sleep, and did not smoke or drink alcohol daily. When only men in all age groups were considered, or when people who reported other risk factors, such as muscle weakness or feeling lonely, were considered, no significant association was found between nut consumption and reduced risk of dementia.
It is not the first time that nut consumption has been linked to brain health. Nuts are energy-dense foods rich in nutrients and anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds. Therefore, scientists hypothesized that the properties of plant extracts can be beneficial for brain health, and some epidemiological studies also show this.
In a 12-week randomized controlled trial, researchers found that eating a handful of peanuts a day improved memory and verbal fluency in healthy, overweight adults. However, several other clinical trials have not found such benefits.
Researchers at the University of Castilla-La Mancha used data from a group of people registered with the UK Biobank between 2007 and 2012 to clarify the ambiguous results. Participants were followed up for an average of seven years. During the study period, the rate of any type of dementia was 2.8%. Those who said they ate 30 grams of nuts per day (about a handful) were less likely to fall into these groups.
The reasons for the association between consumption of plant brains and reduced risk of dementia are unclear. Currently, the exact cause of different forms of dementia has not been identified and more research is needed to clarify what factors are effective in causing and preventing dementia.
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Existing drug treatments for dementia have limited effects; While there is evidence that up to 40% of dementia cases can be prevented or delayed by modifying certain lifestyle risk factors such as smoking, drinking alcohol, exercise or social isolation.
“Future long-term studies, both observational studies and clinical trials, should evaluate the effect of nut consumption as a strategy to prevent dementia in adults,” the researchers wrote in their paper.
Several review studies have shown that healthy diets, such as the Mediterranean diet, are associated with a reduced risk of dementia. Meanwhile, the Western diet, which is rich in saturated fat, sugar, and salt, appears to be a risk factor for dementia.
A recent study of 60,000 Britons found that following a Mediterranean diet reduced the risk of dementia by 23%. Further research has shown that olive oil, a staple of the Mediterranean lifestyle, can specifically reduce the risk of death from dementia by 28%.
The study was published in the journal GeroScience.
