People who eat more nuts tend to perform better on tests of thinking and memory, particularly if they have a generally poor diet or lack regular physical activity. Among stroke survivors, nut consumption is associated with higher levels of a protein that promotes the growth of new blood vessels. These findings, published in the journal Food & Function, suggest that even small dietary additions can benefit brain health.
A person’s ability to manage daily life depends largely on maintaining mental acuity in old age. A 2026 review noted that midlife cardiovascular risk factors and diet interact to shape long-term brain health, either protecting it or accelerating its decline over a lifetime. Strokes are particularly devastating, causing direct damage to brain tissue and increasing the risk of memory problems and dementia. As medical treatments for dementia remain limited, many experts are looking at preventive measures, such as diet.
Healthy eating patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet, typically include nutrient-rich foods that help protect blood vessels and reduce inflammation. Nuts are an integral part of such diets. They contain healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals that support cardiovascular health, though their specific role in maintaining cognitive function is still being studied.
“Nuts are widely recommended as part of a healthy diet and have known benefits for heart and metabolic health, but evidence regarding their benefits for cognitive function is inconsistent,” stated co-authors Barbara R. Cardoso of Monash University and Sasan Amanat. “Furthermore, we are particularly interested in people who have suffered a stroke—a group at higher risk for cognitive impairment that has been relatively understudied in nutrition research.”
To investigate these questions, researchers used data from the Framingham Heart Study’s Offspring Cohort—a large-scale project that began in the 1970s by tracking residents of Massachusetts. The study involved 1,771 participants with an average age of 61 who completed dietary questionnaires and underwent cognitive function tests. Within this group, 1,742 participants had no history of stroke, while 29 had suffered a stroke.
Participants reported their food intake over the previous year via detailed questionnaires, allowing the team to estimate their average daily nut consumption. On average, participants who had not suffered a stroke consumed about 1.3 grams of nuts per day—a very low amount compared to standard dietary recommendations. Participants also underwent neuropsychological tests measuring information processing speed, visual memory, verbal memory, and reasoning skills. The results of these tests were combined into a single composite score representing overall cognitive function.
To examine the brain directly, researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure total brain tissue volume and the volume of the hippocampus—a region that plays a crucial role in memory. They also collected blood samples to measure two proteins essential for the development and maintenance of the nervous system. One is brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which supports nerve cell survival, and the other is vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which stimulates the formation of new blood vessels. The team accounted for variables such as age, sex, education, smoking status, overall diet quality, and physical activity. Among participants with no history of stroke, higher nut consumption was associated with better overall cognitive performance. When researchers grouped individuals based on lifestyle, they found this effect was most pronounced in those with the lowest levels of physical activity and the poorest overall diet quality. In these groups, even a modest increase in nut intake led to improvements in memory and thinking skills.
“Our findings add to the growing body of evidence that including a handful of nuts in one’s diet can support cognitive health,” the researchers stated. “Replacing less healthy snacks with nuts may be particularly beneficial for individuals who do not follow a balanced diet or lead a sedentary lifestyle. Brain health is often discussed in the context of complex treatments or interventions, but our study highlights the potential importance of everyday food choices. Nuts are widely available and can easily replace common snack foods in many people’s diets.”
Brain scan results revealed a different picture. Higher nut consumption was linked to an increase in total brain volume, but only among participants who led an active lifestyle. In the overall group of individuals who had not suffered a stroke, nut consumption was not associated with blood levels of proteins essential for brain health.
Among a small group of people who had suffered a stroke, nut consumption showed no link to memory or cognitive performance. However, higher nut intake correlated with elevated blood levels of vascular endothelial growth factor, which may indicate more favorable conditions for blood vessel repair following a stroke.
“We were surprised to find that nut consumption is linked to vascular endothelial growth factor in stroke survivors,” the researchers explained. “Although our findings are limited by the small number of participants and require confirmation in larger studies, they shed light on a potential mechanism by which a specific food might aid recovery in stroke survivors.”
Over a ten-year follow-up period, the researchers also tracked the incidence of new strokes and dementia cases among participants who had not previously suffered a stroke. Out of 1,742 individuals, 49 new strokes and 61 new cases of dementia were identified; however, no statistical link was found between the amount of nuts consumed and the likelihood of developing these conditions.
The cognitive findings align with a study published in 2024, which showed that regular nut consumption is associated with a 12 percent lower risk of developing dementia. The current study—which assessed cognitive test results and brain health markers rather than the clinical incidence of dementia over a longer period—also identified cognitive benefits associated with nut consumption. The results also align with a 2025 study indicating that daily consumption of 60 grams of peanuts improves verbal memory and cerebral blood flow. Although the new study examined habitual nut consumption in a large population rather than a controlled daily peanut intervention, it also suggests benefits for brain health. Another study from 2026 reported improvements in cognitive processing speed following daily almond consumption in adults with prediabetes. The current study expands on this concept by examining overall cognitive function in a broader population.
The findings offer useful insights into nutrition, but there are several reasons to interpret them with caution. “One important limitation is that this study can only show an association between nut consumption and improved brain health, but cannot prove that one causes the other,” the researchers noted. “In other words, while people who ate more nuts tended to have better cognitive function, the study does not show that eating nuts directly prevents memory loss or cognitive decline.”
Furthermore, overall nut consumption in the study population was extremely low; only a tiny fraction of individuals met standard dietary recommendations of 20 grams per day. Investigating similar questions in populations that consume a wider variety and larger quantities of nuts could help clarify the exact amount needed to protect brain function with age.
“We are particularly interested in stroke survivors, as they are at increased risk for cognitive impairment yet remain underrepresented in nutritional research,” the researchers stated. “Our next goal is to better understand how dietary factors, including nut consumption, can contribute to recovery, rehabilitation, and long-term brain health after a stroke.”
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