According to doctors at Maastricht University Medical Centre, eating about 60 unsalted, skin-roasted peanuts every day for four months can help your brain work better. They found that this amount of peanuts increased blood flow to important parts of the brain, which are key to thinking and memory.
Researchers studied 31 healthy older adults aged 60 to 75 to see how peanuts affect the brain. The participants ate 60 grams of peanuts every day (about two handfuls) for 16 weeks. They were allowed to eat peanuts in the morning or afternoon, either all at once or added to their meals in small amounts.
To ensure the study results were accurate, the researchers set some rules for the participants such as they were not allowed to eat any other types of nuts or foods that contain nuts, they had to avoid exercising for 48 hours before each check-up, they were asked to not drink alcohol the day before their visits, and had to fast for at least 12 hours overnight before each visit.
After 16 weeks, the results were surprising. The participants’ blood flow to the brain increased by 3.6%, which helps the brain get more oxygen and nutrients. At the same time, their verbal memory improved by 5.8%, meaning they were better at remembering things they heard or read.
“CBF is an important physiological marker of brain vascular function and refers to the amount of blood that flows through the brain, delivering oxygen and nutrients that are essential for maintaining brain health,” study author Peter Joris, an associate professor in the Department of Nutrition and Movement Sciences, NUTRIM, Maastricht University Medical Centre, said in a statement.
The findings are especially important for older adults, whose brain blood vessels can weaken with age, increasing the risk of dementia. According to the World Health Organisation, 57 million people worldwide had dementia in 2021, and this number is expected to rise to 78 million by 2030 and 139 million by 2050.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)