A diet that includes walnuts may have a beneficial effect in reducing the risk and slowing the progression of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new animal study. 

Research from 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 that were fed a walnut-enriched diet.

The researchers, led by Dr. Abha Chauhan, suggest walnuts' high antioxidant content 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 the disease, which affects more than five million people in the U.S.

"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 Chauhan in a release.

"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 6-9% walnut diet supplementation on the mice- equivalent to 1-1.5 ounces per day for humans.

This research stemmed from a previous cell cultural study led by Chauhan that highlighted walnut extract's protective effects 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.

According to the release, someone in the U.S. develops Alzheimer's disease every 67 seconds, and the number of Americans with the disease and other dementias is expected to rapidly escalate in coming years as the baby boom generation ages.

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) - an omega-3 fatty acid with heart and brain-health benefits.

The researchers also suggested ALA could have played a role in improving the behavioral symptoms seen in the study.

Photo: www.shutterstock.com

www.freshfruitportal.com