Walnut-enriched diet may prevent Alzheimer’s

Walnut-enriched diet may prevent Alzheimer’s
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Highlights

A new animal study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease indicates that a diet including walnuts may have a beneficial effect in reducing the risk, delaying the onset, slowing the progression of, or preventing Alzheimer’s.

A new animal study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease indicates that a diet including walnuts may have a beneficial effect in reducing the risk, delaying the onset, slowing the progression of, or preventing Alzheimer’s.

Research led by Abha Chauhan, PhD, head of the Developmental Neuroscience Laboratory at the New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities (IBR), found significant improvement in learning skills, memory, reducing anxiety, and motor development in mice fed a walnut-enriched diet.

The researchers suggest that the high antioxidant content of walnuts (3.7 mmol/ounce) may have been a contributing factor in protecting the mouse brain from the degeneration typically seen in Alzheimer’s disease. Oxidative stress and inflammation are prominent features in this disease, which affects more than five million Americans.

“These findings are very promising and help lay the groundwork for future human studies on walnuts and Alzheimer’s disease – a disease for which there is no known cure,” said lead researcher Dr Abha Chauhan, PhD. “Our study adds to the growing body of research that demonstrates the protective effects of walnuts on cognitive functioning.”

The research group examined the effects of dietary supplementation on mice with 6 percent or 9 percent walnuts, which are equivalent to 1 ounce and 1.5 ounces per day, respectively, of walnuts in humans. The research stemmed from a previous cell culture study led by Dr Chauhan that highlighted the protective effects of walnut extract against the oxidative damage caused by amyloid beta protein. This protein is the major component of amyloid plaques that form in the brains of those with Alzheimer’s disease.

Demographic aging is a global phenomenon. India’s population is undergoing a rapid demographic transition now. India is home to more than 70 million people older than 60 years as per the 2001 census. With demographic ageing comes the problem of dementia. The numbers of persons with dementia double every 5 years of age and so India will have one of the largest numbers of elders with this problem. In 2010, there were 3.7 million Indians with dementia and it expected to double by 2030. The numbers of persons with dementia double every 5 years of age and so India will have one of the largest numbers of elders with this problem(2).

Walnuts have other nutritional benefits as they contain numerous vitamins and minerals and are the only nut that contains a significant source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) (2.5 grams per ounce), an omega-3 fatty acid with heart and brain-health benefits. The researchers also suggest that ALA may have played a role in improving the behavioral symptoms seen in the study.

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