A new
animal study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease indicates
that a diet including walnuts may have a beneficial effect in reducing the
risk, delaying the onset, slowing the progression of, or preventing Alzheimer's
disease.
Research
led by Abha Chauhan, PhD, head of the Developmental Neuroscience Laboratory at
the New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities
(IBR), found significant improvement in learning skills, memory, reducing
anxiety, and motor development in mice fed a walnut-enriched diet.
The
researchers suggest that the high antioxidant content of walnuts (3.7
mmol/ounce)1 may have been a contributing factor in protecting the mouse brain
from the degeneration typically seen in Alzheimer's disease. Oxidative stress
and inflammation are prominent features in this disease, which affects more
than five million Americans2.
"These
findings are very promising and help lay the groundwork for future human
studies on walnuts and Alzheimer's disease – a disease for which there is no
known cure," said lead researcher Dr. Abha Chauhan, PhD. "Our study
adds to the growing body of research that demonstrates the protective effects
of walnuts on cognitive functioning."
The
research group examined the effects of dietary supplementation on mice with 6
percent or 9 percent walnuts, which are equivalent to 1 ounce and 1.5 ounces
per day, respectively, of walnuts in humans. This research stemmed from a
previous cell culture study3 led by Dr. Chauhan that highlighted the protective
effects of walnut extract against the oxidative damage caused by amyloid beta
protein. This protein is the major component of amyloid plaques that form in
the brains of those with Alzheimer's disease.
Someone
in the United States develops Alzheimer's disease every 67 seconds, and the
number of Americans with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias are expected
to rapidly escalate in coming years as the baby boom generation ages. By 2050,
the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer's disease may nearly
triple, from five million to as many as 16 million, emphasizing the importance
of determining ways to prevent, slow or stop the disease. Estimated total
payments in 2014 for all individuals with Alzheimer's disease and other
dementias are $214 billion2.
Walnuts
have other nutritional benefits as they contain numerous vitamins and minerals
and are the only nut that contains a significant source of alpha-linolenic acid
(ALA) (2.5 grams per ounce), an omega-3 fatty acid with heart and brain-health
benefits4,5. The researchers also suggest that ALA may have played a role in
improving the behavioral symptoms seen in the study.
An article
detailing these findings, "Dietary Supplementation of Walnuts Improves
Memory Deficits and Learning Skills in Transgenic Mouse Model of Alzheimer's
Disease," has been published in the October issue of Journal of
Alzheimer's Disease 42(4): 1397-1405 (2014) [http://iospress.metapress.com/content/n644184610325684/].
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