Press Release from INC – International Nut & Dried Fruit Council
An INC-funded study, recently published in BMC Geriatrics1 showed that a moderate intake of nuts may lead to improved cognitive performance.
May
May 19, 2021. A team of researchers from the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), Deakin University, Australia have studied the impact of consuming nuts on cognitive performance among older adults in the US.
The study included 1,814 participants all above the age of 60 from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) 2011-2012 and 2014-2014 cohorts. Researchers monitored the participants’ nut intake and diet quality with two 24-hour diet recalls and split them into four groups considering their nut intake: non-consumers (0 g/d), low intake (0.1-15 g/d), moderate intake (15.1-30.0 g/d) or met recommendation (>30 g/d).
Researchers used the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease (CERAD) test to evaluate the cognitive function of each participant. This included immediate and delayed recall, verbal fluency, and processing speed and attention.
The study showed a consistent difference in cognitive performance between non-consumers and moderate nut intake groups. Non-consumers exhibited the lowest performance, whereas those consuming 15.1 g/d and 30.0 g/d achieved the highest scores. However, increasing consumption beyond 30.0 g/d did not result in further improvements in cognitive performance compared to the moderate intake group.
Therefore, the study suggests that a moderate intake of nuts, may enhance cognitive performance in older adults. Furthermore, lead investigator Dr. Sze-Yen Tan stated that the findings confirm the benefits of adhering to the current recommendation of 30g of nuts per day.
“Eating a handful of nuts each day is a simple dietary strategy that improves cognitive performance in for older adults, among many other already well-established health benefits,” he said.
Funded by the INC International Nut and Dried Fruit Council.
1 Tan, S. Y., Georgousopoulou, E. N., Cardoso, B. R., Daly, R. M., & George, E. S. (2021). Associations between nut intake, cognitive function and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in older adults in the United States: NHANES 2011-14. BMC geriatrics, 21(1), 313.
About the INC
The INC is the international umbrella organization for the nut and dried fruit industry. Its members consist of more than 850 companies in the nut and dried fruit sector, spanning over 80 countries worldwide. INC membership represents over 85% of the world’s commercial “farm gate” value of trade in nuts and dried fruits. The INC’s mission is to stimulate and facilitate sustainable growth in the global nut and dried fruit industry. It’s the leading international organization on health, nutrition, statistics, food safety, and international standards and regulations regarding nuts and dried fruits.
Press contact: e-mail press@nutfruit.org and telephone +34 977 331 416.
