Eating about two servings of unsalted, skin-roasted peanuts every day for 16 weeks improved insulin responsiveness in brain areas linked to memory in older adults, researchers at Maastricht University Medical Center have found. The effect appeared in a study of 31 healthy adults aged 60 to 75, who each consumed 60 grams of the nuts daily. The findings point to a potential role for peanuts in supporting brain health and memory as people age.
Study Design and Results
The researchers used a randomised, controlled crossover trial, a design that allowed them to compare the effects of eating peanuts with those of avoiding them. Brain scans taken after the peanut period showed differences in memory regions, including the hippocampus, where areas responded better to insulin - a hormone brain cells rely on to survive and communicate.
The same team had earlier found that 16 weeks of peanut consumption raised brain blood flow by 3.6% and improved verbal memory scores by 5.8%, with the same daily serving of about two servings, skins on and no salt.
Expert Comment
Dr Peter Joris, senior author of the study and associate professor in the Department of Nutrition and Movement Sciences at Maastricht University Medical Center, said: "The hormone insulin plays an important role in the brain, where it supports memory and other cognitive processes. As people age, the brain may become less responsive to insulin, which has been linked to age-related cognitive decline."
He added: "Our study found that daily peanut consumption beneficially affected insulin responsiveness in memory-related brain regions in older adults. These findings suggest that enhanced regional brain insulin responsiveness may contribute to the cognitive benefits of unsalted, skin-roasted peanut intake."
The study highlights that the benefits are tied to unsalted, skin-roasted peanuts consumed daily over a period of weeks, rather than any peanut product eaten briefly.
