The Peanut Institute released a new graphic that showcases peanut’s place in the MIND diet, an eating plan designed to prevent cognitive decline.
A study published in December in “Nutrition, Health, and Aging” found that the MIND diet can reduce and delay the progression of Parkinson’s disease. Previous research shows the diet may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by as much as 53 percent.
The MIND diet combines the Mediterranean and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diets and recommends people choose from 10 brain-healthy food groups to improve brain function and prevent dementia. The food categories include green leafy vegetables and other vegetables, nuts, berries, beans, whole grains, fish, poultry, olive oil and a small amount of wine a day.
The MIND diet calls for five servings of nuts a week, and the flexibility of peanut products make that easy, said Dr. Samara Sterling, the director of research for The Peanut Institute. “You can have a peanut butter sandwich on whole grain bread or grab a handful of peanuts as a snack. Peanuts are a healthy, convenient and affordable way to hit that MIND target.”
Peanuts also contain high levels of niacin and are a good source of vitamin E – two nutrients that have long been known to protect against Alzheimer’s disease and age-related cognitive decline. Check out the graphic here.