Walnuts, Food for the Brain and Healthy Aging

As you know, I’m crazy about walnuts. You will find them in my kitchen every day of the year. I love them for lots of reasons: they are packed with plant-based omega-3s and heart healthy fats, they provide fiber and protein, they grow in my own state of California, and they are downright delicious! I’m always keeping up with the science on walnuts and health, and am very interested in the emerging evidence that points to benefits for the brain and aging—two things I’m very interested in. Read on for more information on walnuts as brain food.

Quality of life and the ability to maintain independence are key factors to healthy aging. Though research continues to shed light on how diet affects brain and physical function in older adults, people of all ages can benefit from taking steps to maintain health and well-being throughout the aging process. Below is a summary of recent research on healthy aging and cognitive function supported by the California Walnut Commission. Although there is no way to prevent diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, the science shows that consuming specific foods, like walnuts, may play a role in helping to maintain and improve physical and cognitive health.

Benefits of Walnuts on Age-Related Health Issues –  Initial findings from the Walnuts and Healthy Aging (WAHA) study presented at Experimental Biology 2016 indicate that daily walnut consumption positively impacts blood cholesterol levels without adverse effects on body weight among older adults. The WAHA study is a dual site two-year clinical trial conducted by researchers from the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona and Loma Linda University and is aimed at determining the effect of walnuts on age-related health issues.

Walnuts and the Fight Against Alzheimer’s Disease –   An animal study found that a diet including walnuts may have a beneficial effect in reducing the risk, delaying the onset, slowing the progression of, or preventing Alzheimer’s disease. This research was led by Dr. Abha Chauhan from the Developmental Neuroscience Laboratory at the New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities.

Walnuts May Improve Memory –   Eating walnuts may improve performance on cognitive function tests, including those for memory, concentration and information processing speed according to research from the David Geffen School of Medicine at The University of California, Los Angeles, led by Dr. Lenore Arab. Cognitive function was consistently greater in adult participants that consumed walnuts, regardless of age, gender or ethnicity.

Eating Walnuts as a Part of a Mediterranean Diet May Help Counter Cognitive Decline – Eating a Mediterranean diet supplemented with olive oil or nuts (primarily walnuts) may counter age-related decline in cognitive function in an older population. Led by Dr. Emilio Ros, Director of the Lipid Clinic, Endocrinology & Nutrition Service at the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, the study found that participants who consumed a nut mixture containing 15 grams of walnuts, 7.5 grams of hazelnuts and 7.5 grams of almonds, showed improvements in memory compared to a control diet.

Visit walnuts.org for the latest walnut health research and delicious recipes.

Here are a few of my favorite recipes featuring walnuts. Feed your brain and enjoy this delicious plant-powered food!

Banana Nut Pancakes
Beet, Walnuts, and Pomegranate Salad 

Image: Walnuts at a food market, Sharon Palmer, RDN

Note: This post is not sponsored.