A new clinical trial published in the journal Clinical Nutrition has found that eating peanuts daily may enhance brain vascular function and support memory performance in older adults.
Conducted by researchers from the NUTRIM Institute of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism at Maastricht University Medical Center, this randomized, single-blind, controlled crossover trial involved 31 healthy participants aged 67 on average. Researchers examined the effects of consuming 60 grams of unsalted, skin-roasted peanuts per day for 16 weeks, compared to a no-peanut control period.
Using advanced brain imaging (arterial spin labeling MRI), the study found that daily peanut consumption significantly increased global cerebral blood flow by 3.6% and gray matter blood flow by 4.5%. Participants also showed a 5.8% improvement in verbal memory performance, as measured by the verbal recognition memory test. Additionally, systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure both decreased during the peanut intervention. The findings suggest that improved brain vascular function may help explain the cognitive benefits associated with peanut consumption.
The authors concluded that “daily consumption of skin-roasted peanuts for 16 weeks improved brain vascular function in healthy older men and women,” highlighting a potential mechanism linking peanuts to better cognitive health.
This research was funded by The Peanut Institute Foundation, which had no role in the study design, data collection or analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
Kerkhof, L., Mensink, R. P., Plat, J., Nijssen, K. M., & Joris, P. J. (2025). Longer-term skin-roasted peanut consumption improves brain vascular function and memory: A randomized, single-blind, controlled crossover trial in healthy older adults. Clinical Nutrition.