Eating a handful of nuts a day could lower risk of developing dementia, study finds

A handful of nuts a day could keep dementia away, according to a trailblazing study.

Eating just 30g of unsalted and unprocessed nuts lowers the risk of developing the ­condition by 12 per cent, the team of Spanish and Portuguese researchers found.

The benefits are most marked for women, those over the age of 60 and those without other risk factors such as obesity or high alcohol conspumption.

The survey analysed more than 50,000 Britons over seven years using data from the UK Biobank study and Oxford WebQ questionnare. 

Nuts were thought to play a ‘protective role’ in preventing the disease, due to multiple effects such as reducing inflammation and cholesterol.

Reseachers from the University of Castilla-La Mancha and University of Porto wrote in the journal GeroScience: ‘Daily consumption of nuts may play a protective role in the prevention of dementia.

‘UK adults who consumed nuts daily had a reduced risk of all-cause dementia compared with nonconsumers after seven years of follow-up, regardless of adjustment for lifestyle, hearing problems, self-related health, and the number of chronic diseases.’

Bridget Benelam, from the British Nutrition Foundation, told The Mail on Sunday: ‘This is a really important finding given that dementia is the biggest killer in the UK. Nuts are nutrient-rich, containing fats, protein, fibre and a range of micronutrients.

‘Given that nuts are also associated with reduced risk of heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes, they are a great food to include as part of a healthy diet. But they are high in calories, so it is best to keep portion sizes to a small handful.’