More Nuts Linked to Better Thinking and Memory

A new study found that people who eat more nuts tend to score higher on thinking and memory tests, especially when their diet or exercise habits are poor.

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A new study using data from the Framingham Heart Study found a link between higher nut intake and better overall cognitive scores among adults without a history of stroke. The analysis included 1,742 stroke-free participants, with an average age of about 61, and looked at thinking skills including processing speed, visual memory, verbal memory and reasoning. The association was strongest among people with lower-quality diets and those who were less physically active. Among highly active participants, greater nut intake was also associated with larger total brain volume. In a much smaller group of 28 stroke survivors with available blood measurements, higher nut intake was associated with higher levels of vascular endothelial growth factor, a protein involved in the formation of new blood vessels. The researchers described these findings as preliminary. The study did not find a statistical link between nut intake and new cases of stroke or dementia during roughly ten years of follow-up, and because the main findings are observational, they cannot establish that eating nuts directly causes better cognition. The study therefore adds to evidence connecting diet and brain health without proving that nuts alone prevent cognitive decline.

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