Nuts are highly recommended foods to include in our diet due to the great health benefits they provide. One of the most outstanding are walnuts. For centuries they have been compared to the human brain because of their appearance, surrounded by a hard shell and whose fruit has folds similar to the human organ.
There are several studies that highlight their properties. A study conducted in Spain analyzed 7,000 people between the ages of 55 and 90 and determined that those who consumed more than three doses of 28 grams of walnuts per week reduce their mortality by 45%.
In the case of the brain, which it bears similarities to, eating walnuts helps to slow cognitive deterioration because they contain enough antioxidants that combat harmful radicals in this organ. According to a study by James Joseph and his colleagues at Tufts University in the United States, thanks to this effect, the health of neurons is prevented from getting worse, and they suspect that this nut improves communication between neurons and the formation of new cells in the brain.
Benefits of walnuts for the brain
Another study conducted by the Institut d’Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV) found that eating walnuts benefits the cognitive development of adolescents and contributes to their psychological maturation. This food is rich in alpha-linolenic fatty acid (ALA), a type of omega-3 that plays an important role in brain development. Adolescents who consumed walnuts for at least 100 days saw an increase in their attention span.
Walnuts contain a high content of vitamins and minerals beneficial for the brain, highlighting their high levels of vitamin E. They are also a source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as omega-3, which are important for neuronal function and the central nervous system. They contain folic acid, which reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, they help develop memory and promote learning.
