A Snack to Remember

An abundant source of antioxidants and significant source of alpha-linolenic acid – a plant-based omega-3 fatty acid with which studies suggest heart and brain health benefits, walnuts may assist cognitive skills.  Lenore Arab, from the University of California/Los Angeles (UCLA; California, USA), and colleagues assessed data collected on adults, ages 29 to 90 years, enrolled in the 1988–1994 and 1999–2002 rounds of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).  The team found that those study participants with higher walnut consumption performed significantly better on a series of six cognitive tests.  Noting the “significant, positive associations between walnut consumption and cognitive functions among all adults, regardless of age, gender or ethnicity,” the study authors submit that: “daily walnut intake may be a simple beneficial dietary behavior.”