A research published in the journal GeroScience claims that daily intake of nuts may play a protective role in preventing dementia, reports The Business Standard.
According to the study, “Eating just 30g of unsalted and unprocessed nuts lowers the risk of developing dementia by 12 per cent.”
Researchers from the University of Castilla-La Mancha and the University of Porto wrote in the journal GeroScience, "Daily consumption of nuts may play a protective role in the prevention of dementia.
“A number of 50,386 participants’ data were analyzed in the UK-based study, with an average (mean) age of 56.5 years and without dementia at the start of the study. They were tracked across seven years”
All-cause dementia was assessed at baseline and at follow-ups. A 24-hour dietary questionnaire was used at baseline to determine nut consumption.
At the end of the study, the incidence of all-cause dementia was 2.8 per cent (1,422 cases). Nut consumption of up to one 30g handful a day, and consumption of unsalted nuts, offered the greatest benefits.
Researchers said, “UK adults who consumed nuts on a daily basis had a reduced risk of all-cause dementia compared with non-consumers after seven years of follow-up, regardless of adjustment for lifestyle, hearing problems, self-related health, and the number of chronic-diseases.”
At present, there are no effective treatments for dementia, so reducing the risk of cognitive decline, including through a balanced diet, is crucial.
Nuts are nutrient-dense foods rich in bioactive compounds, which have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and other neuro-protective roles and support brain health.
Bd-Pratidin English/ Afsar Munna