Eat Peanuts Every Day to Sharpen Memory — A Small Handful Might Be Enough
An everyday snack may do more than curb hunger. A Maastricht University study suggests that a simple, everyday food can supercharge blood flow in your brain — a vital function that tends to weaken as we get older. Researchers recruited 31 healthy adults aged 60 to 75 and put them on a 16-week regimen in which they were asked to eat 60 grams of unsalted, skin-roasted peanuts every day. The portion — roughly two servings — had to be folded into their regular diets. Participants were told not to crush or heat the peanuts, since that could alter their nutritional properties. The volunteers underwent tests at the start, midway through, and at the end of the trial. At each visit, blood pressure and body composition were measured, and in the final round they added cognitive tests and advanced imaging to track blood flow to their brains.
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Study Details and Participants
By the end of the trial, the brain-boosting benefits were clear. Imaging tests showed a significant improvement in brain vascular responsiveness, or the ability of their blood vessels to widen and constrict to regulate blood flow. After 16 weeks of peanut consumption, participants’ global cerebral blood flow increased by 3.6% compared with the control period.
Brain Blood Flow Improves After Peanut Regimen
Brain regions showed notable gains. When Joris and his colleagues examined the participants’ brain gray matter, blood flow had increased by 4.5%. The frontal lobes experienced a 6.6% boost, while the temporal lobes rose 4.9%. These regions play key roles in memory, language, decision-making and emotional control. “CBF is an important physiological marker of brain vascular function and refers to the amount of blood that flows through the brain, delivering oxygen and nutrients that are essential for maintaining brain health,” Dr. Peter Joris, the study’s author, said in a statement. A low CBF is associated with cognitive decline and can affect specific functions like attention, psychomotor speed and memory. “For the first time, we demonstrated that peanut intake improved brain vascular function in healthy older adults,” Joris said.
Memory Performance and Cognitive Findings
These vascular benefits translated into better recall. During a memory test, people who ate the peanuts recognized more words from a list they’d seen 20 minutes earlier compared with the control period. Executive function and psychomotor speed did not shift significantly — at least not in this small group.
Health Benefits Beyond the Brain
Participants’ systolic blood pressure dropped by an average of five millimeters of mercury (mmHg), and their pulse pressure fell by four mmHg. These reductions are significant, since elevated blood pressure damages small blood vessels in the brain and heart, increasing the risk of both cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline. In fact, studies suggest that people with uncontrolled high blood pressure in midlife face a 49% higher risk of developing dementia down the line. And, surprisingly, despite adding 340 calories a day, the participants largely didn’t gain weight while eating the peanuts.
Dementia Context and Risk
More than 6 million Americans — about 10% of adults 65 and older — live with the memory-robbing disease, which claims over 100,000 lives each year. Experts expect that number to double by 2060.
Possible Mechanisms Behind the Peanut Effect
Scientists have some theories as to why peanuts worked: They’re high in L-arginine, unsaturated fats and polyphenols, which are all good for vascular health. Peanut skin also has dietary fiber and antioxidants.
Next Steps and Conclusions
Next, Joris and his team plan to test whether other peanut products, such as peanut butter, provide similar benefits, and if smaller amounts could be just as effective. “Our results suggest that eating unsalted, skin-roasted peanuts every day can support brain health as we age,” Joris told Psypost.
