Here’s what the researchers found.
Reviewed by Dietitian Madeline Peck, RDN, CDN
Key Points
- Eating nuts may support brain health, especially for those with lower diet quality or less active lifestyles.
- Even small amounts of nuts were linked to better cognitive function in the study.
- Nuts are nutrient-rich and easy to add to meals like salads and grain bowls.
By 2050, the number of people living with dementia is expected to nearly triple worldwide. It’s a sobering statistic, but it’s also one that has researchers paying closer attention to the everyday choices that might help protect brain health over time, including what we eat.
Diet has long been linked to how well the brain ages. Eating patterns like the Mediterranean diet have shown promise in supporting cognitive function, and nutrient-rich foods like nuts, vegetables, whole grains and fish are thought to play a role in keeping the brain healthier for longer. Nuts, in particular, are a standout: They’re packed with healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and plant compounds that may benefit both the heart and the brain.
But while researchers have explored nuts and heart health fairly thoroughly, their impact on the brain, especially in people at higher risk of cognitive decline, has been murkier. That’s the gap a new study published in Food & Function set out to close. Researchers wanted to know whether eating more nuts was linked to better thinking and healthier brain markers over time, including among people who had experienced a stroke, a group known to face accelerated cognitive aging. Here’s what they found.
How Was the Study Conducted?
The team analyzed data from 1,771 adults in the Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort, with an average age of 61. To estimate nut intake, they used food frequency questionnaires collected across three separate study visits over roughly a decade, then averaged the results to capture long-term eating habits rather than a single snapshot.
Participants also completed a range of neuropsychological tests measuring different aspects of thinking. Beyond cognition, researchers also used MRI scans to look at brain size, including the hippocampus, an area important for memory. In addition, they analyzed blood samples for two compounds tied to brain health, called BDNF and VEGF, and followed participants for 10 years to see who developed stroke or dementia.
To make the results more reliable, the statistical models were adjusted for demographics, lifestyle and health factors like age, sex, education, physical activity, diet quality, body mass index and cardiovascular risk.
What Did the Study Find?
Among people without a history of stroke, higher nut intake was positively associated with better global cognition. The effect per gram is small, but it points in a favorable direction. Notably, the median nut intake in the study was just 1.3 grams per day, roughly the amount in an almond or a couple of pistachios. That means the observed association showed up even at very low intake levels, though the study wasn’t designed to prove that eating a single almond a day is enough to protect brain health.
The more interesting details showed up when researchers looked at specific groups. The link between nuts and cognition was noticeably stronger in people with lower diet quality and those with low physical activity. In other words, the people who might have the most room to benefit seemed to show the clearest association.
Brain volume told a slightly different story. Larger total brain volume was linked to nut intake mainly in highly active individuals, which the researchers noted was unexpected. Among the small group of stroke survivors, greater nut consumption was associated with higher levels of VEGF, which is a protein involved in blood vessel growth and potential neuroprotection.
One thing the study did not find: over the 10-year follow-up, nut intake was not associated with the risk of developing stroke or dementia.
Limitations
This study offers useful clues, but it’s not the final word. A few important limitations stand out. First, the group of stroke survivors was very small, so those findings should be viewed as preliminary and hypothesis-generating rather than conclusive. Second, several parts of the analysis were cross-sectional, meaning they captured a single point in time and can’t prove that nuts caused better cognition.
It’s also worth remembering that overall nut intake in this group was quite low, with a median of just 1.3 grams per day, far below the roughly 20 to 28 grams often studied for health benefits. Additionally, dietary data was self-reported, which can introduce errors since people don’t always remember exactly what they eat.
How Does This Apply to Real Life?
The takeaway here is that nuts remain a nutritious, convenient food, and this research suggests they may support brain health, particularly for people whose diets or activity levels have room to improve.
You don’t need to overhaul your habits or eat huge portions. A modest, consistent amount can fit easily into most eating patterns. Try adding a small handful of almonds, walnuts or pistachios to your morning oatmeal, tossing them into salads or keeping a portioned bag on hand for an afternoon snack. If your current diet is light on whole foods or you’re not very active, adding nuts to your rotation is a smart place to start.
Our Expert Take
Researchers analyzed nut intake, cognitive test scores, brain scans and blood markers in more than 1,700 adults from the Framingham Heart Study, following them for a decade, and they published their results in Food & Function. They found that higher nut consumption was associated with better global cognition, especially in people with lower diet quality or less active lifestyles.
The bottom line: while more research is needed, the evidence continues to support nuts as a smart, brain health-friendly addition to a balanced diet.