Eating peanuts daily may improve brain insulin response in older adults

Scientists at Maastricht University Medical Center in the Netherlands discovered that eating about two servings of unsalted, skin-roasted peanuts daily for 16 weeks improved insulin responsiveness in brain regions important for memory in older adults, ScienceDaily Health reported.

The research, published in the journal Food & Function by the Institute of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), showed that insulin plays a key role in the brain by supporting nerve cell growth, survival, and communication, which are essential for memory and cognitive abilities.

The study observed improved insulin responsiveness in brain regions such as the lingual gyrus, hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, and posterior cingulate gyrus, all involved in memory processes, after daily peanut consumption.

Dr. Peter Joris, the study's senior author, explained that as people age, the brain may become less responsive to insulin, contributing to cognitive decline, and that enhanced brain insulin responsiveness from peanuts may help protect against this decline and Alzheimer's disease.