Almond for mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease: A randomized clinical trial

Almonds are frequently advised as brain tonic and memory enhancers in Persian medicine. There is also scientific evidence to support the effects of almond on memory. This study was designed to assess the effects of almond (Prunus dulcis) on memory and cognitive functions in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD).

In this randomized controlled trial, 60 AD patients with mild to moderate cognitive disorder were randomly allocated into an almond group (10 g/day powdered sweet almond plus 1 teaspoon of powdered rock candy along with their previous prescriptions), or the control group (continue previous prescriptions) for 3 months. The Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR), and Functional Assessment Staging (FAST) questionnaires were completed at the beginning and the end of the study. The sleep quality was also assessed by the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).

Thirty participants in each group completed the study, and were analyzed. Age was 71.86±8.04 years in the almond group and 71.3±7.18 years in the control group (p=0.775). Duration of memory deficit was 2.8±0.92 and 3±1.2 months in the almond and control group, respectively (p=0.473). The orientation scale of the MMSE (p=0.024), MOCA (p=0.001), memory scale of MOCA (p=0.005), FAST (p=0.032), and PSQI (p<0.001) in the almond group were significantly improved compared to those in the control group.

Almond is a probable safe intervention for memory and sleep enhancement in AD patients. Conducting studies with larger samples, longer follow-up periods, and different control groups are suggested.