Daily peanut intake may boost brain function in older adults — Study

Eating unsalted, skin-roasted peanuts daily may improve the brain’s response to insulin in older adults, particularly in regions responsible for memory, a study by researchers at Maastricht University Medical Centre in the Netherlands has found.

The study, published in Food & Function, involved 31 healthy adults aged 60 to 75 who consumed 60 grammes of peanuts daily for 16 weeks.

The researchers found improved insulin responsiveness in a cluster of brain regions linked to memory and cognitive function, suggesting that regular peanut consumption may support aspects of brain health in older people.

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Insulin is best known for regulating blood sugar, but it also plays an important role in the brain by supporting communication between nerve cells and processes involved in learning and memory.

The brain may become less responsive to insulin with age, a change that has been linked to cognitive decline.

“Our study found that daily peanut consumption beneficially affected insulin responsiveness in memory-related brain regions in older adults,” said Dr Peter Joris, the study’s senior author and an associate professor at Maastricht University Medical Centre.

The researchers conducted a randomised, controlled crossover trial in which participants ate 60 grammes of unsalted, skin-roasted peanuts daily for 16 weeks. During a separate control period, they did not consume peanuts before switching to the other study condition.

Using advanced magnetic resonance imaging, the researchers measured changes in blood flow in different brain regions following the administration of insulin through the nose.

They observed changes in insulin responsiveness in parts of the right hemisphere, including the hippocampus, lingual gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, and posterior cingulate gyrus. These regions play roles in memory and other cognitive processes.

The findings build on earlier research by Joris, published in Clinical Nutrition in 2025, which found that the same peanut intervention increased overall blood flow to the brain by 3.6 per cent and verbal memory performance by 5.8 per cent.

Cerebral blood flow supplies the brain with oxygen and nutrients needed for normal functioning.

Joris said peanuts contain nutrients that could contribute to the observed effects, including unsaturated fats, dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals, and bioactive plant compounds.

Peanuts are also rich in plant-based protein and L-arginine, an amino acid the body uses to produce nitric oxide, which helps regulate blood vessel function.

However, the study did not establish which nutrients were responsible for the changes.

The researchers cautioned that the study involved only 31 participants and lasted 16 weeks. It did not establish that eating peanuts prevents Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

Further studies involving larger groups and longer follow-up periods are needed to determine whether improved brain insulin responsiveness leads to lasting benefits for memory and cognitive health.

The study received funding from The Peanut Institute Foundation, which the researchers said had no role in its design, implementation, analysis, interpretation, or preparation of the manuscript.