Memory involves the acquisition,
storage and recovery of information. Memory is an important component of daily
life because we have to remember and recall a lot of information on daily
basis. Sometimes, people forget things such as setting up an alarm, turning off
the water pump and most often birthdays but this is normal, don’t worry about
it. The process of memory formation declines with aging that leads to severe
cognitive impairment or dementia in certain individuals. This could be
problematic as individuals suffering from memory impairment are unable to
remember the minor details about themselves and their surroundings and thus
cannot perform their daily tasks and become a burden to the family and society.
Memory impairment is caused by various genetic, environmental and dietary
factors. Diet is an important regulator of health and healthy food evades
various diseases. Researchers have identified the memory improving effects of
large number of natural products such as rosemary (rosmarinic acid), turmeric
(curcumin), black cumin (thymoquinone), ginger (6-shogaol) and walnuts (alpha-linolenic
acid).
Walnuts are very delicious and
nutritious nuts that are equally like by children and adults. These are good
source of magnesium, iron, vitamin B6 and copper. Walnuts are an important source
of proteins and rich in polyphenols and alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3 fatty
acids). Walnuts are proven good for heart, bones and the brain.
Oxidative stress and inflammation
are important causative factors for memory impairment and cognitive decline whereas
alpha-linolenic acid and polyphenols decrease the inflammation and oxidative
stress therefore, reduce cognitive decline.
A cross sectional study conducted
at the University of California (led by Dr. Lenore Arab) discovered that walnut
consumption in adults (> 20 years) improves cognitive abilities such as
concentration, memory and processing speed (1).
Moreover, a two centered
(California and Spain) randomized controlled trial carried out for the period
of two years revealed that walnut ingestion had no overall effect on cognition.
However, it may slower the cognitive decline in high risk individuals (2).
Similar findings were observed
after 8 weeks of walnut consumption in young adults. The dietary intervention
did not significantly improve the mood, memory and non-verbal reasoning
however, it improved the verbal reasoning (3).
In addition, walnut
supplementation enhanced memory and learning in rats and reduced food intake
(4). Further studies are warranted to obtain the conclusive evidence in this
regard nevertheless, the results are encouraging and emphasize the daily use of
handful of walnuts to increase the brain functions.
Take home message; eat walnuts
to boost your memory!
References
1.
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/537264
2.
https://nutrition.org/can-walnut-consumption-benefit-brain-health/
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