A small study out of the Netherlands has found that eating peanuts every day for 16 weeks may change how the brain’s memory-related regions respond to insulin in older adults, though researchers caution the findings fall well short of proving any protective effect against cognitive decline.
The research, conducted by scientists at Maastricht University Medical Center and published in the journal Food & Function in September, involved just 31 healthy adults between the ages of 60 and 75. Participants ate 60 grams, or about two servings, of unsalted, skin-roasted peanuts daily for 16 weeks, choosing their own time of day to eat premeasured packets. During a separate control phase, they ate no peanuts at all.
Using MRI scans, researchers found that the peanut-eating phase was associated with roughly a 4% increase in overall blood flow in the brain, along with improved insulin responsiveness in memory-related regions, including the hippocampus.
Insulin does more than regulate blood sugar. It also helps nerve cells in the brain grow and communicate, a process tied to learning, memory and overall cognitive function.
What the findings do and don’t show
Kellyann Niotis, a New York-based preventive neurologist who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital the research reflects growing scientific interest in insulin’s role in brain health beyond blood sugar control.
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