Funded in part by California Walnut Commission
The Walnuts and Healthy Aging Study (WAHA): Protocol for a Nutritional Intervention Trial with Walnuts on Brain Aging
Rajaram S, Valls-Pedret C, Cofán M, Sabaté J, Serra-Mir M, Pérez-Heras AM, Arechiga A, Casaroli-Marano RP, Alforja S, Sala-Vila A, Doménech M, Roth I, Freitas-Simoes TM, Calvo C, López-Illamola A, Haddad E, Bitok E, Kazzi N, Huey L, Fan J, Ros E
Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 60 citations
Review labels
Neutral facts our review recorded about how this study was done. They describe method, never whether we like the result.
How it was studied
- Design
- Randomized controlled trial (classified by our AI screen)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
- Intake measured by
- Not stated
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Industry funded
- Industry group
- California Walnut Commission
- University or hospital
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red-Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición
- Government
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III
- Authors
- At least one author declares a financial tie to industry
- Grants
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI15/01014); Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CP12/03299)
Based on 3 listed funder(s) and full-text disclosure statement.
Publication
- Published
- 2017-01-09 · Front Aging Neurosci · vol. 8 · p. 333
- Publisher
- Frontiers Media
- Cited
- 85 citations · more than 98% of similar papers · 7.2× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 75 works
- Access
- Open access (journal) · CC-BY
- Research areas
- Nuts composition and effects · Antioxidant Activity and Oxidative Stress · Phytochemicals and Antioxidant Activities
- Keywords
- Medicine, Macular degeneration, Population, Dementia, Randomized controlled trial, Cognitive decline, Cognition, Healthy aging, Neuropsychology, Gerontology, Disease, Internal medicine, Ophthalmology, Environmental health, Psychiatry
21 authors
From US, ES
- Sujatha RajaramLoma Linda University; Loma Linda University Health Care
- Cinta Valls‐PedretInstituto de Salud Carlos III; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red; Hospital Clínic de Barcelona
- Montserrat CofánInstituto de Salud Carlos III; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red; Hospital Clínic de Barcelona
- Joan SabatéLoma Linda University; Loma Linda University Health Care
- Mercè Serra‐MirInstituto de Salud Carlos III; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red; Hospital Clínic de Barcelona
- Ana Pérez-HerasInstituto de Salud Carlos III; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red; Hospital Clínic de Barcelona
Abstract
Introduction: An unwanted consequence of population aging is the growing number of elderly at risk of neurodegenerative disorders, including dementia and macular degeneration. As nutritional and behavioral changes can delay disease progression, we designed the Walnuts and Healthy Aging (WAHA) study, a two-center, randomized, 2-year clinical trial conducted in free-living, cognitively healthy elderly men and women. Our interest in exploring the role of walnuts in maintaining cognitive and retinal health is based on extensive evidence supporting their cardio-protective and vascular health effects, which are linked to bioactive components, such as n-3 fatty acids and polyphenols. Methods: The primary aim of WAHA is to examine the effects of ingesting walnuts daily for 2 years on cognitive function and retinal health, assessed with a battery of neuropsychological tests and optical coherence tomography, respectively. All participants followed their habitual diet, adding walnuts at 15% of energy (≈30-60 g/day) (walnut group) or abstaining from walnuts (control group). Secondary outcomes include changes in adiposity, blood pressure, and serum and urinary biomarkers in all participants and brain magnetic resonance imaging in a subset. Results: From May 2012 to May 2014, 708 participants (mean age 69 years, 68% women) were randomized. The study ended in May 2016 with a 90% retention rate. Discussion: The results of WAHA might provide high-level evidence of the benefit of regular walnut consumption in delaying the onset of age-related cognitive impairment and retinal pathology. The findings should translate into public health policy and sound recommendations to the general population (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01634841).
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher (CC BY).
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