Daily 60-Gram Peanut Intake Boosts Brain Insulin Response in Adults 60 to 75
Updated
Updated · ScienceDaily · Nov 1
Daily 60-Gram Peanut Intake Boosts Brain Insulin Response in Adults 60 to 75
3 articles · Updated · ScienceDaily · Nov 1
Summary
A 31-person randomized crossover trial found that 16 weeks of eating 60 grams of unsalted, skin-roasted peanuts daily improved insulin responsiveness in memory-related brain regions in healthy older adults.
ASL-MRI scans showed stronger responses in right-hemisphere areas including the hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, lingual gyrus and posterior cingulate gyrus after intranasal insulin administration.
The participants were 60 to 75 years old, and researchers compared each person's peanut phase with a 16-week control phase in which peanuts were avoided entirely.
The findings extend a 2025 study by the same team that linked 16 weeks of peanut intake to a 3.6% rise in cerebral blood flow and a 5.8% gain in verbal memory.
Researchers said peanuts' mix of unsaturated fats, fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and L-arginine may underlie the effect, though the study was funded by The Peanut Institute Foundation.
Could swapping your daily snack for skin-roasted peanuts be the secret to fighting age-related brain decline, or is peanut butter just as effective?
Why did daily peanut consumption improve memory-related brain regions but completely fail to change overall body metabolism or liver fat in older adults?