New research shows that eating walnuts for breakfast could improve brain function throughout the day.
In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers at the University of Reading found that eating a generous handful of walnuts (50g), mixed into muesli and yoghurt, resulted in faster reaction times throughout the day and better memory performance later in the day when compared to eating a calorie-matched breakfast without nuts.
The research, published this month in ‘Food & Function’, involved 32 healthy young adults aged 18-30 who consumed both the walnut-rich breakfast and the matched breakfast on separate occasions. Participants completed various cognitive tests while their brain activity was monitored in the six hours after eating each breakfast.
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Professor Claire Williams, who led the research from the university, said: "This study helps strengthen the case for walnuts as a brain food. A hearty handful of walnuts with breakfast could give young adults a mental edge when they need to perform at the top of their game.
“It's particularly exciting that such a simple dietary addition could make a measurable difference to cognitive performance."
The researchers suggest that walnuts' mix of nutrients – including omega-3 alpha linolenic acid (ALA), protein, and plant compounds, may enhance cognitive performance. Walnuts are the only nut to provide an excellent source of omega-3 ALA (2.7g/30g), which has been researched to support brain health, heart health and more. Walnuts also provides 4 grams of plant-based protein along with a variety of other nutrients in just one handful. While these results build on past research, it is the first to examine the immediate effects of walnuts on brain function in young adults throughout a single day.
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"This study went further by exploring how a dietarily achievable measure of walnuts could benefit our cognitive performance in a sample of healthy young adults aged 18-30. The group who had consumed the walnuts as part of their breakfast showed signs of better memory and greater mental flexibility when completing cognitive tasks at various points across the course of the day," explains Williams.
The results of this study offer promise for the role of walnuts in improving cognitive performance in young adults. More research, in larger and more diverse populations, is needed to confirm the results.
