Keep your memory intact: eating more than 2 teaspoons of peanuts a day can prevent dementia.

MELBOURNE: A study found that eating more than 10 grams of nuts a day can improve thinking, reasoning and memory, while preserving age-related mental disorders. The study conducted by researchers at the University of South Australia was conducted on 4,822 Chinese over 55 years old.

This study is the first to report an badociation between cognition and nut consumption among older Chinese adults, providing important insights into the growing problems of mental health, including dementia, faced by an aging population.

"The aging of the population is one of the most important challenges of the 21st century.Not only do people live longer, but, as they get older, they need additional support in health, which is putting unprecedented pressure on health and care services for the elderly, "said Ming Li, senior researcher at the University of South Australia.

"By eating more than 10 grams (or two teaspoons) of nuts a day, older people could improve their cognitive function by up to 60% – compared to those who do not consume it – by avoiding effectively what would normally be experienced as a natural experience – cognitive decline of the year, "said Li.

According to the World Health Organization, by 2020, the number of people aged 60 and over will be greater than the number of children under five years old.

The study badyzed nine waves of data from the Nutrition Survey for Health in China, collected over a 22-year period, and found that 17% of participants regularly consumed nuts (mainly peanuts).

According to Li, peanuts have specific anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects that can mitigate and reduce cognitive decline.

"Nuts are known to be high in healthy fats, protein and fiber, with nutritional properties that can lower cholesterol and improve cognitive health," said Li.

The World Health Organization estimates that 47 million people worldwide have dementia.

By 2030, this figure is expected to reach 75 million and by 2050 the number of dementia cases worldwide is expected to almost triple. China has the largest population of people with dementia.

"As people get older, they naturally experience changes in conceptual reasoning, memory, and speed of processing, all of which are part of the normal aging process," Li said.