Nuts And The Brain: The Morning Superfood for a Sharper Mind

Eating nuts can be good for your brain, helping with memory, concentration and quick thinking. This is because they contain nutrients that protect brain cells. One study showed that a breakfast of nuts helped with quicker responses to tasks throughout the day, but the effects on memory varied. More research is needed to better understand these benefits.

Diet plays a key role in brain health, directly influencing memory, reasoning and other cognitive functions.

Among the most studied foods in this context are walnuts, which have shown potential benefits for the brain due to their nutritional composition rich in healthy fats, proteins, flavonoids and other bioactive compounds.

Epidemiological research suggests that regular consumption of walnuts may be associated with better cognitive performance throughout life, including improved memory and faster mental processing speed.

Studies in population groups have shown that middle-aged and older adults who regularly consume walnuts have better cognitive functions compared to those who do not consume them.

In addition to population studies, animal studies also suggest that eating walnuts can improve cognitive abilities, such as working memory and spatial learning.

These results have prompted clinical trials to test whether the benefits observed in rodents also apply to humans. Some of these studies have shown that eating walnuts daily for a few weeks can improve learning, memory, and even reduce academic stress in young adults.

However, the results are not always consistent, suggesting that factors such as age, amount eaten, and duration of consumption may influence the cognitive effects. Walnuts appear to benefit the brain through several mechanisms. They contain omega-3 fatty acids, which play an essential role in communication between neurons and in reducing inflammation.

They are also rich in flavonoids, antioxidant compounds that help protect brain cells from damage. In addition, there is evidence that regular consumption of walnuts can increase levels of BDNF, a protein that promotes the growth and survival of neurons.

Other studies suggest that walnuts can improve blood circulation to the brain, reduce bad cholesterol and balance blood glucose levels, all of which contribute to mental and cognitive health.

While the long-term benefits of walnut consumption have been widely studied, there is less research on their immediate effects after eating.

To fill this gap, researchers at the University of Reading, UK, conducted a study with 32 healthy young adults, testing the cognitive and emotional effects of eating a walnut-rich breakfast.

During the experiment, participants were tested on a variety of cognitive tasks and had blood samples and electroencephalogram (EEG) readings taken at different times of the day.

The results showed that those who ate walnuts had faster reaction times throughout the day on reasoning and mental control tasks. However, there was an initial poorer performance on memory recall, which was reversed after a few hours, with the walnut eaters outperforming the control group.

The data also indicated that nut consumption may influence blood glucose levels and brain activity, suggesting a possible impact on cognitive effort and attention.

However, the effects on mood were mixed, with some people reporting a slight worsening of emotional well-being, possibly due to an aversion to the taste or texture of nuts.

Despite these promising findings, more research is needed to fully understand how nuts affect cognition, both immediately after consumption and in the long term. Future studies could explore different amounts, durations, and food combinations to maximize the potential benefits of nuts for the human brain.

READ MORE:

The impact of a walnut-rich breakfast on cognitive performance and brain activity throughout the day in healthy young adults: a crossover intervention trial

L. Bell, G. F. Dodd, M. Jeavons, D. R. Fisher, A. R. Whyte, B. Shukitt-Hale and C. M. Williams, 3 Food & Function, 2025,16, 1696-1707

DOI: 10.1039/D4FO04832F

Abstract: 

A healthy diet is essential for optimal brain health and many bioactives from food are linked to cognitive benefits. To examine whether walnuts led to cognitive improvements throughout the day, 32 healthy young adults, aged 18–30, were tested in a double-blind, crossover pilot study, to compare the effects of a breakfast containing 50 g walnuts with a calorie-matched control containing no nuts. Cognition, mood, blood, and EEG measures were recorded at baseline and 2, 4, and 6 hours postprandially. Mood ratings for negative affect appeared worse following walnuts compared to control, possibly due to a general dislike of the intervention. However, walnuts elicited faster reaction times throughout the day on executive function tasks. Memory recall performance at 2 hours was worse for walnuts compared to control, but by 6 hours this finding was reversed with walnuts outperforming the control. EEG PSD analysis revealed differences in frontoparietal activity in the walnut condition compared to the control condition during memory recall and during executive function performance. These results may reflect between-treatment differences in cognitive effort or attentional processes while performing the tasks. Blood analysis revealed lower circulating non-esterified fatty acids and small increases in glucose availability following consumption of walnuts compared to control, suggesting enhanced glucose availability as one possible mechanism of action. Further investigations of other potential mechanisms are needed. Overall, these findings provide evidence for reaction time benefits throughout the day following a walnut-rich breakfast, while memory findings were mixed with benefits only observed later in the day. However, more research is needed into how diets containing walnuts might regulate cognitive improvements in humans postprandially and over the longer term.