Nuts have large amounts of necessary fatty acids and they are also high in antioxidants. They also have anti-inflammatory properties which makes them a very healthy addition to your diet.
Their composition suggests that they can be helpful in preventing degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson's.
There are a variety of factors that impact your brain health. From daily stress levels to diet and how much sleep you get, it all affects how healthy your brain is. Adding nuts to your diet will definitely improve the health of your brain.
It can help you focus better, improve memory and it will enhance your overall quality of life. Don’t believe us? Read on to find out what nuts are best for brain health and their benefits. We promise you’ll go nuts for nuts!
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Which Nuts Are Best For Brain Health?
Almonds
Almonds are very rich in vitamin E. Research has found that vitamin E shows the potential to slow down memory loss and reduce cognitive ability brought on by aging.
A lot of age-related conditions are a result of oxidative stress. The brain is especially vulnerable to oxidative stress and this damage is often irreversible. Vitamin E is an antioxidant and helps prevent neurodegeneration.
They are also believed to improve your memory and overall brain function. Almonds are rich in many essential nutrients like polyphenols, fatty acids and folate.
Almonds are also heart healthy, which means that they help improve your overall health too.
Walnuts
Walnuts are considered perhaps the most beneficial nuts for brain health. Research shows that increasing your consumption of walnuts can significantly enhance cognitive ability and improve memory.
Walnuts contain docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is very beneficial for the developing brains of babies. In fact, babies actually get smarter if their mothers have enough DHA in their diet while pregnant.
They also improve the cognitive abilities of adults. They are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which help protect against inflammation. This prevents or slows down the decline in cognitive abilities brought on by aging.
Studies have also shown that people who include walnuts in their daily diet had lower blood pressure readings as compared to those who didn’t.
Hazelnuts
Like almonds, hazelnuts also contain high amounts of vitamin E. They are also rich in folate, manganese and fatty acids, all of which are essential nutrients that contribute towards brain health.
Manganese is associated with improving brain function and cognitive ability. Vitamin E is an antioxidant and helps prevent damage caused by oxidative stress in the brain. Half a cup of walnuts a day can easily fulfill your body’s daily vitamin E needs.
Hazelnuts also contain thiamine, which is known as the ‘nerve vitamin’. It plays an essential role in keeping your nervous system healthy and is good for improving cognitive function. A deficiency in thiamine can cause a lot of neurological issues.
Peanuts
Peanuts are rich in niacin. Studies have found that niacin deficiency can affect your cognitive abilities and causes dementia and memory loss. It is also associated with protecting brain cells from damage or injury.
Niacin also helps slow down the symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases. It lowers the amount of low-density lipoprotein in your body and increases the amount of high-density lipoprotein.
In layman’s terms, it keeps your cholesterol in check. Having high cholesterol is associated with amyloid buildup which in turn contributes to diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Preliminary studies also suggest that eating more peanuts could help prevent diseases like Parkinson’s. More research is needed to understand the exact effect of niacin on brain health.
Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds aren’t classified as nuts, but they are very high in antioxidants. They prevent oxidative damage, which is a key factor in many neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Pumpkin seeds are also rich in many essential nutrients like zinc, magnesium, copper and iron. All of these nutrients perform functions like maintaining nerve health and preventing a decline in cognitive abilities which all contribute to increasing human longevity.
Including pumpkin seeds in your diet helps maintain and protect brain health.
Which Nuts Are Best For Brain Health: Wrapping Up
Nuts have a lot of health benefits as they are rich in antioxidants and essential fatty acids. Our body needs a regular supply of nuts because it does not produce the required amount of many of these fatty acids.
Increasing your intake of nuts also reduces your consumption of saturated fatty acids. This improves your overall health too.
Improving your brain health and overall health will contribute to a better quality of life. Getting enough exercise and sleep in addition to increasing your consumption of nuts will make a great difference to your brain health and improve longevity too.
