An apple a day and a spoonful of sugar have both been touted as medicinal marvels. The real superfood, however, may be a handful of walnuts every morning, scientists have found.
Eating 50 grams of walnuts for breakfast, described as a “generous handful”, can improve your brain function later in the day, a new study has concluded.
The consumption of walnuts appeared to be linked to faster reaction times throughout the day but “better memory performance” later in the day when compared with a walnut-free breakfast containing the same amount of calories.
• Exercise may reduce risk of dementia, study finds
“It’s particularly exciting that such a simple dietary addition could make a measurable difference to cognitive performance,” said Professor Claire Williams, from the University of Reading, who led the research.
The sample in the study was relatively small, taking 32 healthy adults aged between 18 and 30.
They were asked to consume a walnut-rich and a walnut-free breakfast on different days and were then subjected to cognitive tests over the next six hours while their brain activity was monitored.
Participants were asked to consume a walnut-rich and a walnut-free breakfast on different days
BURCU ATALAY TANKUT/GETTY IMAGES
Those who consumed walnuts for breakfast exhibited faster reaction times on brain function tests. They scored lower on memory tests two hours after breakfast but then scored higher six hours after breakfast, suggesting a delayed effect.
The study concluded: “These findings provide evidence for reaction time benefits throughout the day following a walnut-rich breakfast, while memory findings were mixed with benefits only observed later in the day.”
• The food to eat for better sleep — and what’s keeping you awake
Other foodstuffs have been linked to better cognitive performance, but usually as part of a balanced diet, with any improvements found over a prolonged period of time following the adoption of a generally healthier lifestyle.
Researchers from the Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics at the University of Reading set out to examine whether nuts could have a more immediate impact on brain function in the hours after consuming them.
The study, which was published in the journal Food & Function, suggested that the particular mix of nutrients in walnuts, including “omega-3 alpha linolenic fatty acids, protein, and plant compounds called polyphenols”, could have a rapid effect on cognitive performance.
Walnuts contain fatty acids, protein, and plant compounds called polyphenols, all which could have an effect on cognitive performance
LENA ZAJCHIKOVA/GETTY IMAGES
It noted: “Brain activity recordings revealed changes in neural activity that suggest walnuts may help the brain work more efficiently during challenging mental tasks, while blood samples revealed positive changes in glucose and fatty acid levels — both factors that could influence brain function.”
The research was funded by the California Walnut Commission, which promotes the interests of walnut growers, but the University of Reading stressed that the commission “had no role in conducting the study or interpreting the results”. The study was peer-reviewed before publication.
• Everyday drugs such as ibuprofen could be used to treat dementia
It wrote: “Walnuts may provide a healthy way of boosting cognition throughout the day, in addition to eliciting longer-term cognitive benefits following daily supplementation.”
The study found that those who ate the walnut-rich breakfasts rated them as less tasty and less palatable compared to those who ate walnut-free breakfasts. This suggested that they found the walnut-rich meals to be less enjoyable, which had a negative impact on their post-breakfast mood.
The researchers noted that all participants were healthy people aged under 30 and 78 per cent female, suggesting the study could be repeated with a more even mix of sexes, older people and those with cognitive impairments to see if the benefits are felt more widely.
