Common Snack May Reduce Dementia Risk - Newsweek

A simple snack might help you stave off dementia, new research suggests.

Dementia affects more than 5 million Americans over the age of 65, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dementia comes in different forms—the most common form is Alzheimer's disease—and is characterized by an impaired ability to remember, think and make decisions.

Today, there is no known cure for Alzheimer's, although neuroscientists estimate that 45 percent of Alzheimer's cases could be delayed or prevented through changes in lifestyle, including our diet.

In a new study, published in the journal GeroScience, researchers from Spain and Portugal have revealed a strong association between nut consumption and a reduced risk of all-cause dementia in a cohort of over 50,000 adults.

The data was drawn from the UK BioBank, a biomedical database investigating the respective contributions of genetics and environment to the development of various diseases. Participants, who were aged between 40 and 70, were followed up an average of seven years after an initial assessment.

Following their analysis, the researchers found that those who ate nuts everyday saw a 12 percent lower risk of developing all-cause dementia. For participants who ate up to one handful of nuts a day, the reduced risk was 16 percent.

Unsalted nuts were also seen to have a more positive effect than salted ones.

Of course, these results are based on observational data, and do not definitively prove that nuts prevent dementia. However, these findings are consistent with previous studies demonstrating the benefits of eating nuts on brain health. For example, a study of 16,000 U.S. nurses, published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health, and Aging in 2014, revealed that those who ate nuts at least five times a week performed better in cognitive tests than those who did not.

Another study, published in the journal Clinical Nutrition in 2023, found that older adults who ate two handfuls of mixed nuts a day (including walnuts, pistachios, cashews and hazelnuts) over a 16 week period showed significant improvements in memory and blood flow to the brain.

Walnuts in particular have been associated with better brain health, with studies showing that eating just a walnut a day is associated with improved response times and cognitive tests, especially among older adults.

According to the authors of the latest study, eating nuts may improve the health of our blood vessels and lower blood pressure and inflammation, which may be as a result of the high concentrations of healthy fats and vitamins in these foods. Vitamin E, which is found in many nuts, may also play a protective role in brain health, the researchers write.

Is there a health problem that's worrying you? Let us know via [email protected]. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured in Newsweek.

Livingston, G., Huntley, J., Liu, K. Y., Costafreda, S. G., Selbæk, G., Alladi, S., Ames, D., Banerjee, S., Burns, A., Brayne, C., Fox, N. C., Ferri, C. P., Gitlin, L. N., Howard, R., Kales, H. C., Kivimäki, M., Larson, E. B., Nakasujja, N., Rockwood, K., Samus, Q., ... Mukadam, N. (2024). Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet standing Commission. Lancet, 404(10452), 572–628. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01296-0

O'Brien, J., Okereke, O., Devore, E., Rosner, B., Breteler, M., & Grodstein, F. (2014). Long-term intake of nuts in relation to cognitive function in older women. The Journal of Nutrition Health & Aging, 18(5), 496–502. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-014-0014-6

Nijssen, K. M., Mensink, R. P., Plat, J., & Joris, P. J. (2023). Longer-term mixed nut consumption improves brain vascular function and memory: A randomized, controlled crossover trial in older adults. Clinical Nutrition, 42(7), 1067–1075. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2023.05.025

Arab, L., & Ang, A. (2014). A cross sectional study of the association between walnut consumption and cognitive function among adult us populations represented in NHANES. The Journal of Nutrition Health & Aging, 19(3), 284–290. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-014-0569-2