Incorporating 50 grams of walnuts into a morning meal of muesli and yogurt resulted in enhanced reaction speeds throughout the day and improved memory recall later on, when contrasted with a breakfast of equivalent caloric value that excluded nuts. This finding emerges from research conducted by a collaborative team representing the University of Reading, the University of Winchester, and the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University.
Consuming walnuts with breakfast has the potential to boost cognitive abilities in healthy young adults. Image credit: Tim Ulama.
According to Professor Claire Williams of the University of Reading and her fellow researchers, “Dietary habits are among the most significant lifestyle determinants that profoundly impact cognitive function.”
“Consequently, a nutritionally balanced diet, abundant in essential nutrients, can elevate cognitive capabilities across an individual’s lifespan.”
“The family of nuts represents one food category that has been associated with favorable cognitive well-being, with numerous epidemiological investigations indicating a positive correlation between regular nut consumption and cognitive performance.”
“For instance, epidemiological studies such as the Doetinchem Cohort Study have demonstrated that the quantity of nut intake positively predicted memory, processing speed, cognitive flexibility, and overall cognitive function in middle-aged individuals. Concurrently, data from the Nurses’ Health Study revealed that older women who consumed five or more servings of nuts weekly exhibited superior cognitive function compared to non-consumers, with an indication that walnuts contributed positively to this outcome.”
“Furthermore, pre-clinical studies have also substantiated the cognitive advantages derived from walnut supplementation.”
“Research involving rodents has indicated that walnuts aided in improving working memory performance in the Morris Water Maze task, as well as enhancing learning and memory capabilities in the Elevated-Plus and Radial Arm maze paradigms.”
“The cognitive benefits attributed to walnuts may stem from their distinct nutritional composition, given their known high content of omega-3 fatty acids, protein/peptides, and flavonoids, a category of polyphenols,” the researchers elaborated.
“The primary objective of our investigation was twofold: first, to ascertain the effects on cognition and mood following the acute ingestion of a walnut-rich breakfast in healthy young adults over the course of the day, and second, to explore the potential neurological and physiological mechanisms that could account for any observed cognitive enhancements.”
The study encompassed 32 healthy young adults, aged between 18 and 30 years, who participated in consuming both a walnut-rich breakfast and a calorically matched control breakfast on separate occasions.
Participants engaged in a series of cognitive assessments, with their brain activity meticulously monitored for a six-hour period subsequent to each meal.
“A modest quantity of walnuts incorporated into breakfast could provide young adults with a cognitive advantage when optimal performance is required,” Professor Williams remarked.
“The fact that such a straightforward dietary addition can yield a quantifiable improvement in cognitive performance is particularly encouraging.”
Recordings of brain activity indicated alterations in neural patterns, suggesting that walnuts may facilitate more efficient brain operation during demanding cognitive tasks. Concurrently, blood sample analysis revealed favorable shifts in glucose and fatty acid levels – both of which are factors that can influence brain function.
“Our findings offer support for the notion of reaction time benefits extending throughout the day subsequent to a walnut-rich breakfast. However, the observed memory benefits were varied, manifesting only later in the day,” the research team stated.
“Nevertheless, further investigation is warranted to elucidate how diets incorporating walnuts might modulate cognitive enhancements in humans both immediately after a meal and over extended periods.”
The outcomes of this research have been disseminated in the scientific journal Food & Function.
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L. Bell et al. The impact of a walnut-rich breakfast on cognitive performance and brain activity throughout the day in healthy young adults: a crossover intervention trial. Food Funct, published online February 3, 2025; doi: 10.1039/D4FO04832F
