Go Nuts for brain health

Long-term, high nut consumption could be the key to better cognitive health in older people according to new research from the University of South Australia (UniSA).

In a study of 4,822 Chinese adults aged 55 years and over, researchers found eating more than 10 grams of nuts a day was positively associated with better mental functioning, including improved thinking, reasoning and memory.

Lead UniSA researcher Dr Ming Li said the study was the first to report an association between cognition and nut intake in older Chinese adults, providing important insights into increasing mental health issues (including dementia) faced by an ageing population.

“Population aging is one of the most substantial challenges of the twenty first century. Not only are people living longer, but as they age, they require additional health support which is placing unprecedented pressure on aged-care and health services.

“In China, this is a massive issue, as the population is ageing far more rapidly than almost any other country in the world. Improved and preventative health care – including dietary modifications – can help address the challenges that an aging population presents.

“By eating more than 10 grams (or two teaspoons) of nuts per day older people could improve their cognitive function by up to 60 per cent – compared to those not eating nuts – effectively warding off what would normally be experienced as a natural two-year cognition decline.”

China has one of the fastest growing aging populations – in 2029, China’s population is projected to peak at 1.44
billion, with the ratio of young to old dramatically imbalanced by the rising ranks of the elderly.

By 2050, 330 million Chinese will be over age 65, and 90.4 million will be over age 80, representing the world’s largest population of this most elderly age group.

More broadly, the World Health Organization says that by 2020, the number of people aged 60 years and older will outnumber children younger than five years old.

The UniSA study analysed nine waves of China Health Nutrition Survey data collected over 22 years, finding that 17 per cent of participants were regular consumers of nuts (mostly peanuts).

Dr Li said peanuts have specific anti inflammatory and antioxidant effects which can alleviate and reduce cognitive
decline.

“Nuts are known to be high in healthy fats, protein and fibre with nutritional properties that can lower cholesterol and improve cognitive health,” she said.

“While there is no cure for age-related cognition decline and neurogenerative disease, variations in what people eat are delivering improvements for older people.”