Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 12, 2026
Orienteering as a Tool for Cognitive Research: An Implementation Guide
Published on: November 29, 2024
Longer-term skin-roasted peanut consumption improves brain vascular function and memory: A randomized, single-blind,
Lucia Kerkhof1, Ronald P Mensink1, Jogchum Plat1
1Department of Nutrition and Movement Sciences, NUTRIM Institute of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC)+, 6200 MD, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Background And Aims:
Reduced brain vascular function contributes to age-related cognitive decline. While peanut consumption may improve cognitive performance, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the longer-term effects of skin-roasted peanut consumption on brain vascular function and cognitive performance in older adults.
Methods:
In a randomized, single-blind, controlled crossover trial, 31 healthy individuals (age [mean ± SD]: 67 ± 4 years; BMI: 26.7 ± 3.3 kg/m2) consumed 60 g/day of unsalted, skin-roasted peanuts or no peanuts (control) for 16 weeks, separated by an 8-week washout. During follow-up, brain vascular function was assessed by quantifying global cerebral blood flow (CBF) using arterial spin labeling magnetic resonance imaging, which was the primary outcome. Cognitive performance was evaluated using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB).
Results:
The consumption of peanuts was well-tolerated and median compliance was excellent: 100 % (interquartile range [IQR] 99-100 %). Compared with control, peanut consumption significantly increased global CBF by 3.6 % (intervention effect: 1.5 mL/100 g/min, 95 % CI [0.3, 2.6], p = 0.014) and gray matter CBF by 4.5 % (2.2 mL/100 g/min, 95 % CI [0.9, 3.6], p = 0.002). Verbal memory improved by 5.8 % during the delayed recall condition of the verbal recognition memory (VRM) task (+1.4 words correct (95 % CI [0.0, 2.7], p = 0.043). No beneficial effects were found in executive function and psychomotor speed outcomes. Systolic blood pressure (-5 mmHg; 95 % CI [-8, -2], p = 0.004) and pulse pressure (-4 mmHg; 95 % CI [-7, -1], p = 0.006) decreased during the peanut intervention.
Conclusions:
Daily consumption of skin-roasted peanuts for 16 weeks improved brain vascular function in healthy older men and women. These favorable effects may underlie the observed improvements in verbal memory, highlighting a potential mechanism by which increased peanut intake beneficially affects cognitive performance.
Clinical Trial Registry:
This trial was registered at clinicaltrial.gov as NCT05724654.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Cognitive Development During Adulthood
01:27Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age
01:19The Effect of Aging on Tissues
01:22Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Absorption
01:18Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Metabolism
01:26Aging
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...