Daily consumption was associated with a 12% lower risk of all-cause dementia
A recent cohort study published in the journal GeroScience analyzed the relationship between nut consumption and the risk of all-cause dementia in adults from the United Kingdom.
The researchers analyzed data from 50,386 participants with a mean age of 56.5 years. All-cause dementia —i.e. Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia or vascular dementia— was assessed at baseline and a 24-hour dietary questionnaire was used to assess nut consumption. Participants were tracked through self-reported medical diagnosis, hospitalization or death records.
The findings showed that daily nut consumption was significantly associated with a 12% lower risk of all-cause dementia after an average follow-up period of 7 years. Statistical analyses showed that nut consumption of up to 1 handful (30 grams) per day and consumption of unsalted nuts were associated with the greatest protective benefits. The researchers concluded that daily nut consumption may play a protective role in the prevention of dementia.
Bizzozero-Peroni, B., Díaz-Goñi, V., Beneit, N., Oliveira, A., Jiménez-López, E., Martínez-Vizcaíno, V., & Mesas, A. E. (2024). Nut consumption is associated with a lower risk of all-cause dementia in adults: a community-based cohort study from the UK Biobank. GeroScience, 10.1007/s11357-024-01365-z. Advance online publication.