Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2012

Abstract

Walnuts contain a number of potentially neuroprotective compounds like vitamin E, folate, melatonin, several antioxidative polyphenols and significant amounts of n-3 α-linolenic fatty acid. The present study sought to determine the effect of walnuts on verbal and non-verbal reasoning, memory and mood. A total of sixty-four college students were randomly assigned to two treatment sequences in a crossover fashion: walnuts-placebo or placebo-walnuts. Baseline data were collected for non-verbal reasoning, verbal reasoning, memory and mood states. Data were collected again after 8 weeks of intervention. After 6 weeks of washout, the intervention groups followed the diets in reverse order. Data were collected once more at the end of the 8-week intervention period. No significant increases were detected for mood, non-verbal reasoning or memory on the walnut-supplemented diet. However, inferential verbal reasoning increased significantly by 11.2 %, indicating a medium effect size (P = 0.009; d = 0.567). In young, healthy, normal adults, walnuts do not appear to improve memory, mood or non-verbal reasoning abilities. However, walnuts may have the ability to increase inferential reasoning.

Journal Title

The British Journal of Nutrition

Volume

107

Issue

9

First Page

1393

Last Page

1401

DOI

10.1017/S0007114511004302

First Department

Population Health, Nutrition & Wellness

Second Department

Graduate Psychology and Counseling

Third Department

Medical Laboratory Sciences

Acknowledgements

Retrieved February 10, 2021 from https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/effects-of-walnut-consumption-on-cognitive-performance-in-young-adults/3BD8AD9713F9EE1B329E6988EB63A890

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