Walnut consumption by healthy, elderly adults had little effect on cognitive function over two years, but had a greater effect on elderly adults, who had smoked more and had a lower baseline neuropsychological test scores, says a study conducted by researchers in California and Spain.
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.
The study published in 'The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition' 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.
Study's principal investigator Joan Sabate said: "While this was a minor result, it could lead to better outcomes when conducted over longer periods of time."
"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."
Sabate 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.
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