A Simple Snack with Surprising Cognitive Benefits

New study found that adding peanuts to your daily meal can improve memory and brain function especially in older age.

The study, published on November 1 in the scientific journal Clinical Nutrition, included 31 healthy adults aged 60 to 75.
Participants ate about 60 grams of peanuts per day for 16 weeks without salt. Researchers discovered that daily peanut consumption led to a 3.6% increase in blood flow to the brain.

“Brain blood flow is an important physiological measure of the function of blood vessels in the brain, and it refers to the amount of blood reaching it and supplying oxygen and essential nutrients to maintain brain health,” explained Dr. Peter Yoris, the study author and associate professor in the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Science at the university.

“We found that sustained consumption of unsalted roasted peanuts improved overall blood flow in the brain, suggesting an overall improvement in cerebral blood vessel function.”
Furthermore, the researchers found a 5.8% improvement in verbal memory among participants.

In addition, there was a decrease in blood pressure and pulse pressure, which are important indicators of cardiovascular health.
According to the researchers, increased blood flow was especially observed in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, areas associated with memory, language, and other cognitive functions.

“The dietary intervention that included peanuts led to increased blood flow in key brain regions responsible for memory and other cognitive functions,” the study concluded.
The researchers noted that the findings are particularly encouraging because reduced cerebral blood vessel function is considered one of the main factors increasing the risk of dementia with age.

Improved blood flow may theoretically reduce the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases.
“The number of people experiencing age related cognitive decline or diagnosed with dementia is rising sharply,” Yoris said in an interview.

“As researchers of nutrition and brain health, we are very interested in the effects of the foods we consume on healthy aging.
Peanuts are a common, accessible food rich in nutrients, but until now, little was known about their specific effects on the brain.”

According to him, “Our findings suggest that daily consumption of unsalted roasted peanuts may support brain health as we age.”
The researchers plan to continue investigating whether peanuts may also have a direct effect on reducing the risk of dementia in the future.