# Popular snack may help support brain health in older adults, new study finds

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/popular-snack-may-help-support-brain-health-in-older-adults-new-study-finds/
- Published: 2026-11-13T11:00:04+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-13T11:25:51+00:00
- Original publisher: Fox News (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/popular-snack-may-help-support-brain-health-older-adults-new-study-finds
- Topics: Research, Science, World

## Key points

- Daily peanuts were linked to improved brain insulin responsiveness.
- The study involved 31 adults aged 60 to 75.
- It did not show peanuts prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

## Summary

A small study suggests that eating peanuts daily may improve how insulin works in brain regions involved in memory among healthy older adults. The finding matters because insulin helps brain cells communicate, but the research did not show that peanuts prevent cognitive decline or Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers followed 31 adults aged 60 to 75, who ate 60 grams of unsalted, skin-roasted peanuts each day for 16 weeks, with a separate phase in which they ate none. MRI scans showed an approximately 4% increase in overall brain blood flow and improved insulin responsiveness in memory-related regions, including the hippocampus. A neurologist cautioned that the results need further study and that evidence favours healthy dietary patterns over any single food; the study was funded by the Peanut Institute Foundation.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.