Can Walnuts Slow the Progression of Alzheimer's?

Researchers have found the high antioxidant and omega-3 content in walnuts may have helped reduce the brain degeneration of mice with Alzheimer’s disease.

In previous research, a team of investigators led by Abha Chauhan, PhD, head of the Developmental Neuroscience Laboratory at the New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, found that an extract in walnuts may have a protective effect against oxidative stress. For this study, Chauhan and her colleagues sought to determine the effects of a walnut-enriched diet on learning skills, memory, anxiety, and motor coordination in Alzheimer’s mice models.
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Over the course of 9 to 10 months, the authors fed the mice custom-mixed diets containing either 6% or 9% walnuts on a daily basis—the equivalent of a human eating 1 ounce or 1.5 ounces of walnuts a day, the researchers note. Other Alzheimer’s mouse models were fed a walnut-free diet, to act as controls. At the study’s end, all mice were subject to experiments to test learning abilities, spatial memory, motor coordination, and anxiety-related behavior.

In comparison to the mouse models on the control diet, the Alzheimer’s mouse models that were placed on a walnut-enriched diet showed significant improvements in each of the tested areas, according to the authors, who say it’s possible that the high antioxidant content may have helped protect against brain degeneration in the mice.

“The supplementation of the diet with walnuts may have beneficial effects in delaying the onset or slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease,” says Chauhan, noting that the recommended daily serving of walnuts is 1 ounce, which is equal to one-quarter cup, or 12 to 14 walnut halves.

—Mark McGraw

Reference

Muthaiyah B, Essa M, et al. Dietary supplementation of walnuts improves memory deficits and learning skills in transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. 2014.