The findings of the study, published in the journal eClinical Medicine, showed that eating walnuts regularly could benefit the cognitive development of adolescents and contribute to their psychological maturation. In the study, the Spanish researchers revealed that adolescents who eat a handful of walnuts a day, or at least three times a week, can have substantial improvements in cognitive abilities.

Walnuts are high in alpha-linolenic fatty acid (ALA), a form of omega-3 fatty acid that is essential for brain development, particularly throughout adolescence. In this study, the researchers enrolled 700 secondary school students between 11 and 16 years of age from 12 different high schools in Barcelona.

On the other hand, the control group did not receive any kind of intervention. The experimental group received sachets containing 30 grammes of walnut kernels. The young participants were asked to consume them daily for six months.

The findings of the study showed that adolescents who ate walnuts for at least 100 days improved their attention functions. Particularly, participants who had some symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) improved their behavior significantly, paying more attention to the teacher and being less hyperactive in class.

Dr. Jordi Julvez, the principal investigator from the Institut dInvestigacio Sanitaria Pere Virgili (IISPV), noted that adolescence is a time of great biological changes. He added that it is marked by hormonal transformation, which in turn is responsible for stimulating the synaptic growth of the frontal lobe. He explained that this part of the brain enables neuropsychological maturation, i.e., more complex emotional and cognitive functions. Meanwhile, nourishing the neurons with fatty acids can help with ion growth and the formation of new, stronger synapses.

 (Source: https://www.indiatvnews.com/health/eating-walnuts-handful-daily-may-boost-concentration-among-adolescents-2023-04-28-867455 )