Funded in part by International Nut and Dried Fruit Council
Longer-term mixed nut consumption improves brain vascular function and memory: A randomized, controlled crossover trial in older adults
Nijssen KMR, Mensink RP, Plat J, Joris PJ
Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland) · 25 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 (indexed by PubMed)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
- Intake measured by
- Food provided by researchers
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Industry funded
- Industry group
- International Nut and Dried Fruit Council
Based on 1 listed funder(s).
Publication
- Published
- 2023-06-03 · Clin Nutr · vol. 42 · issue 7 · pp. 1067–1075
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Cited
- 35 citations · more than 96% of similar papers · 4.3× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 51 works
- Access
- Open access (hybrid journal) · CC-BY-NC-ND
- Research areas
- Nuts composition and effects · Botany, Ecology, and Taxonomy Studies · Ginger and Zingiberaceae research
- Keywords
- Medicine, Crossover study, Cerebral blood flow, Arterial stiffness, Randomized controlled trial, Frontal lobe, Internal medicine, Cardiology, Cognitive decline, Placebo, Dementia, Pathology, Blood pressure
- MeSH
- carotid arteries, brain, humans, nuts, cross-over studies, aged, middle aged, pulse wave analysis
4 authors
From NL
- Kevin M.R. Nijssen · correspondingMaastricht University Medical Centre; Maastricht University
- Ronald P. MensinkMaastricht University
- Jogchum PlatMaastricht University
- Peter J. JorisMaastricht University
Abstract
Background
Nut consumption may reduce age-related cognitive decline, but underlying mechanisms are unclear.
Objective
To investigate in older adults longer-term effects of mixed nut consumption on brain vascular function, which may underlie improvements in cognitive performance.
Methods
Twenty-eight healthy individuals (age [mean ± SD]: 65 ± 3 years; BMI: 27.9 ± 2.3 kg/m2) were included in a randomized, single-blinded, cross-over trial with a 16-week intervention (60 g/d mixed nuts: walnuts, pistachio, cashew, and hazelnuts) and control period (no nuts), separated by 8 weeks of washout. Participants followed the Dutch food-based dietary guidelines. At the end of each period, cerebral blood flow (CBF), a marker of brain vascular function, was quantified using arterial spin labeling magnetic resonance imaging. Effects on endothelial function, arterial stiffness, and the retinal microvasculature were also assessed. Cognitive performance was measured using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery.
Results
Body weight remained stable during the study. As compared to the control period, the mixed nut intervention resulted in a higher regional CBF in the right frontal and parietal lobes (treatment effect: 5.0 ± 6.5 mL/100 g/min; P < 0.001), left frontal lobe (5.4 ± 7.1 mL/100 g/min; P < 0.001), and bilateral prefrontal cortex (5.6 ± 6.6 mL/100 g/min; P < 0.001). Carotid artery reactivity (0.7 PP; 95%CI: 0.2 to 1.2; P = 0.007), brachial flow-mediated vasodilation (1.6 PP; 95%CI: 1.0 to 2.2; P < 0.001) and retinal arteriolar calibers were higher (2 μm; 95%CI: 0 to 3; P = 0.037), and carotid-to-femoral pulse wave velocity lower (-0.6 m/s; 95%CI: -1.1 to -0.1; P = 0.032). Further, visuospatial memory (-4 errors [16%]; 95%CI: -8 to 0; P = 0.045) and verbal memory (+1 correct [16%]; 0 to 2; P = 0.035) improved, but executive function and psychomotor speed did not change.
Conclusions
Longer-term mixed nut consumption as part of a healthy diet beneficially affected brain vascular function, which may relate to the observed beneficial effects on memory in older adults. Moreover, different characteristics of the peripheral vascular tree also improved.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher (CC BY-NC-ND).
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