Eating nuts every day boosts brain power, says new study

Many people have grown up hearing that eating nuts every day keeps the memory sharp. Now researchers say there is scientific evidence to support that idea.

The question is whether nuts can slow the ageing process of the brain. The answer has emerged in a study from Maastricht University Medical Center in the Netherlands, recently published in the journal Food & Function.

In the study, 31 healthy adults aged 60 to 75 were fed 60 grams of roasted peanuts with shells (without salt) every day for 16 weeks. The researchers then observed the effects on different responses in their brains.

The results showed that regular nut consumption significantly increased the sensitivity to insulin in parts of the brain involved in memory and cognitive function, including the hippocampus in the right hemisphere of the brain.

Earlier, in 2025, the same research team had reported that eating nuts for 16 weeks increased blood flow in the brain by 3.6 percent and verbal memory by up to 5.8 percent.

The researchers believe that the healthy unsaturated fats, fibre, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and the amino acid L-arginine in nuts help improve the functioning of blood vessels, which plays a role in boosting the brain's performance.

However, the researchers say that although the results are encouraging, it cannot be said with certainty that nuts directly prevent Alzheimer's or dementia.

They say larger, long-term studies are needed to make the matter clearer.