Lifestyle

Study Shows A Handful Of Walnuts Daily May Boost Attention & Intelligence

A study shows that eating walnuts on a daily basis may improve adolescents’ sustained attention and intelligence scores of adolescents.

According to researchers, walnuts contain a considerable amount of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid that is required for the body and plays an important role in brain development, particularly in the early stages.

The study, published in the journal eClinicalMedicine, shows that a healthy, balanced diet rich in vital nutrients, such as those found in walnuts, can help teenagers’ cognitive and psychological development.

The principal investigator and coordinator of the Neuro Èpia Research Group of the Institut d’Investigacio Sanitaria Pere Virgili (IISPV), Spain, Jordi Julvez said, “Adolescence is a period of brain refinement, connectivity, and complex behaviors, so it remains sensitive to a number of environmental and lifestyle factors, including diet, from which it requires a large amount of energy and nutrients for proper development”.

Julvez explains, “Walnuts are a nutrient-dense food and a rich plant-based source of ALA, an omega-3 fatty acid that provides energy and is essential for the body and its development. For this reason, walnuts are a great ally of adolescent health”.

This study included 700 volunteers, mainly high school students between 11 and 16 years of age from 12 different high schools.

The participants were randomized into two groups at random: the control and the experimental.

The experimental group was given packets containing 30 grams of walnuts (equivalent to a handful) and told to eat them every day for 6 months.

Participants who ate walnuts for at least 100 days improved their attention functions and those who had indications of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) behaved better in class, paying more attention to the teacher and being less hyperactive.

Furthermore, the researchers discovered an increase in functions associated with fluid intelligence, which is less influenced by learning and inherent to a person’s DNA.

Researchers said, “Participants who adhered to the suggested dose of walnuts and the number of days consumed improved their neuropsychological functions”.

The study’s authors intend to perform a second observational trial to examine the effect of walnut consumption throughout pregnancy, with a focus on newborn cognitive development and psychological maturation.

Also read: PM Modi Inaugurates 91 New 100W FM Transmitters To Enhance FM Connectivity In Country

Spriha Rai

Recent Posts

Pakistan’s Digital Frontline: Jokes, Memes And Savage Self-Roasts

While tensions between India and Pakistan escalate post the tragic Pahalgam terror attack, something unexpected…

1 hour ago

Reliance Industries Q4 Net Profit Rises 6.4% As Retail And Digital Units Offset Energy Weakness

Reliance Industries delivered a strong Q4 FY25 performance, with Y-o-Y net profit rising 6.4% to…

1 hour ago

Yash Pratap Singh And Mehak Jaiswal Top UP Board Exams With Outstanding Scores

Yash Pratap Singh of Jalaun tops Class 10 with 97.83%, while Prayagraj’s Mehak Jaiswal secures…

1 hour ago

Yogi Adityanath Calls For Reforms To Make Madrasa Education Modern And Employment-Oriented

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday emphasised the need for sweeping reforms in the madrasa…

2 hours ago

Tulsi Gabbard Backs India’s Hunt For Pahalgam Terror Attack Perpetrators

United States Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard on Friday expressed strong support for…

3 hours ago

World Leaders Head To Rome For funeral Of Pope Francis

Indian President Droupadi Murmu will also attend, representing India alongside Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, Minister…

4 hours ago