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Walnuts and Alzheimer's
Researchers at Tufts University in Boston wanted to examine the effects of walnuts a nut rich in omega-3s on the accumulation of polyubiquitinated proteins in the brain. This substance is the hallmark of many age-related neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, and it accumulates in our brains as we age.
In this study, researchers used 45 male rats, aged 19 months, and divided them equally into three diet groups. control, 6 percent walnut and 9 percent walnut. (They noted that the 6 percent walnut diet fed to the rats is equivalent to 1 oz. of walnuts per day for humans.) The animals were fed their diets for 15 weeks, then a sample size of five rats per group were euthanized and had their brains autopsied.
The researchers found that the 6 percent and 9 percent walnut diets both significantly reduced the accumulation of polyubiquitinated proteins.
Even better, the walnut diets seemed to activate a process called autophagy, which the researchers described as “a neuronal housekeeping function,” in the striatum and hippocampus areas of the brain. This process was more profound in the hippocampus, though, which is the region of the brain involved in memory and cognitive performance. The discovery of the autophagy in the walnut-eating groups was particularly exciting because as we age, this process slows down.
In addition to these physical changes in the brain, researchers found that both groups fed the walnut diets performed better than the control group in cognitive and motor tests. All this, and the walnut-eating rats did not gain any weight compared to the rats in the control group.
Eating 1-1.5 oz. of raw, unsalted walnuts per day (which is about 14-20 shelled walnut halves) is all it takes to reap these potential brain protective benefits — and all the other advantages that come from consuming EFA-rich foods.
Source: L. Long
In this study, researchers used 45 male rats, aged 19 months, and divided them equally into three diet groups. control, 6 percent walnut and 9 percent walnut. (They noted that the 6 percent walnut diet fed to the rats is equivalent to 1 oz. of walnuts per day for humans.) The animals were fed their diets for 15 weeks, then a sample size of five rats per group were euthanized and had their brains autopsied.
The researchers found that the 6 percent and 9 percent walnut diets both significantly reduced the accumulation of polyubiquitinated proteins.
Even better, the walnut diets seemed to activate a process called autophagy, which the researchers described as “a neuronal housekeeping function,” in the striatum and hippocampus areas of the brain. This process was more profound in the hippocampus, though, which is the region of the brain involved in memory and cognitive performance. The discovery of the autophagy in the walnut-eating groups was particularly exciting because as we age, this process slows down.
In addition to these physical changes in the brain, researchers found that both groups fed the walnut diets performed better than the control group in cognitive and motor tests. All this, and the walnut-eating rats did not gain any weight compared to the rats in the control group.
Eating 1-1.5 oz. of raw, unsalted walnuts per day (which is about 14-20 shelled walnut halves) is all it takes to reap these potential brain protective benefits — and all the other advantages that come from consuming EFA-rich foods.
Source: L. Long
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