Nuts may help prevent dementia, new research reveals. Eating just 30 grams of unsalted and unprocessed nuts appears to reduce the risk of developing the condition by 12%, Spanish and Portuguese researchers report.
The benefits are strongest for women over 60 and those without other risk factors, such as obesity or high alcohol consumption.
The research, published in GeroScience, analyzed data on more than 50,000 Britons over seven years, using data from the UK Biobank study and the Oxford WebQ questionnaire.
The anti-dementia superfood
“Daily consumption of nuts may have a protective effect against dementia,” said researchers from the University of Castilla-La Mancha and the University of Porto.
“After seven years of follow-up, adults who consumed nuts daily appeared to have a reduced risk of all-cause dementia compared to those who did not eat them, independent of adjustment for lifestyle, hearing impairment, self-reported health, and number of chronic diseases” they point out.
“Since nuts are also associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes, this is an excellent food, a superfood that has deservedly earned its place in our diet,” they note.
However, remember that they are high in calories, so it is important to watch the portions you consume.
How to get them into your diet
To include them in your meals, you can try:
- Combine your cereal with some nuts for a nutritious breakfast.
- Sprinkle the low-fat yogurt with a few almonds.
- Add nuts such as walnuts to your salads to replace croutons.
- Add extra texture to your pasta by sprinkling it with chopped nuts.
- In addition to blueberries, add nuts to your oatmeal, such as almonds and walnuts.
- Enjoy your steamed vegetables with a handful of nuts.
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