How nuts help prevent diseases such as dementia

Nuts help prevent diseases such as dementia

New research shows that for older adults who are overweight or obese consume nuts improvement much brain sensitivity to insulinthe key to prevent metabolic and cognitive diseases age as dementia. More than 55 million people in the world suffer from this pathology. For this reason, say researchers Kevin Nijssen and Peter Joris, “preventative measures through healthy eating are important.”

Participants in a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and funded by INC consumed 60 g of nuts daily mixed for four months. Thus, “we were able to demonstrate beneficial effect on memory and the basic mechanisms of brain function. This amount was chosen deliberately based on the cardiovascular benefits shown in previous studies,” say doctors Kevin Nijssen and Peter Joris.

And while “our study does not provide conclusive evidence on whether similar benefits can be obtained from eating more or fewer nuts. Yes, they can be recommended for long-term consumption, highlighting the potential for sustainable benefits,” they note.

28 people took part in the study men and women from 60 to 70 years oldWith overweight or obesityand consisted of a 16-week intervention period and a control period (no nuts) separated by eight weeks. “We deliberately chose to include older adults who were overweight or obese in our study because this population group has a higher risk of cognitive decline. However, it would be important to investigate whether the observed results generalize to different population groups, such as normal-weight adults,” the researchers explain.

The study found that consumption nuts got better much action of insulin in brain regions (occipital and frontal), involved in modulation of metabolic and cognitive processesWith. The study also found that peripheral insulin sensitivity was unchanged. However, intrahepatic lipids, serum LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and systolic blood pressure were lower after nut consumption compared with the control period.

“Although insulin is the hormone commonly associated with type 2 diabetes, it also has profound effects on the human brain. Thus, addressing the problem of brain insulin sensitivity is important to reduce risk of cognitive disorders such as dementia“, note Nijssen and Joris.

According to both scientists, more than 55 million people worldwide suffer from dementia, a condition that is expected to double by 2050. Therefore, “preventive measures through a healthy diet are of great importance.”

Are there other foods that offer the same benefits as nuts?

Study participants took walnuts, pistachios, cashews and hazelnuts. “The positive results are due to the unique combination of bioactive components contained in nuts, such as polyphenols, plant proteins, unsaturated fatty acids, fiber, phytosterols and tocopherols. This suggests that products that have similar compositions of these bioactive components may hold promise for providing similar cognitive benefits,” they say.

The study has a very small sample. “We recognize the importance of expanding our research in the future,” the pair of researchers said, to “better explore possible differential effects between subgroups,” taking into account gender, age or disease, and over longer periods of time.

Nijssen and Joris also emphasize that better brain sensitivity to insulin which have been shown to be important not only for cognitive benefits, but also in the context of regulation eating and satiety. “Our study did not include these measures related to appetite or eating behavior, highlighting a niche for future human intervention studies.”

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