Could walnuts be the answer to stress management, particularly stress associated with deadlines, exams and academics?
A clinical trial by researchers at the University of South Australia involving undergraduate university students has shown that consuming walnuts has positive effects on mental health and biomarkers of general health.
The study, which was published in Nutrients, suggests that walnuts may counteract the effects of academic stress on the gut microbiota, particularly in females, and adds to the growing body of evidence linking walnuts to improved brain and gut health.
“We found that those who consumed about half a cup of walnuts every day showed improvements in self-reported mental health indicators,” says lead researcher PhD student Mauritz Herselman.
“Walnut consumers also showed improved metabolic biomarkers and overall sleep quality in the longer term.”
While the walnut consumers experienced positive health effects and better stress management, students in the control group reported increased stress and depression levels in the lead-up to exams, according to the study.
The walnut consumers also reported a significant drop in feelings associated with depression between the first and final visits, compared to the controls.
Previous research has shown that walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, as well as melatonin (sleep-inducing hormone), polyphenols, folate and vitamin E, all of which promote a healthy brain and gut.
“The World Health Organisation has recently stated that at least 75% of mental health disorders affect people under the age of 24 years, making undergraduate students particularly vulnerable to mental health problems,” says Mr Herselman.
Lead researcher, Associated Professor Larisa Bobrovskaya says mental health disorders are common in university students and can adversely affect students’ academic performance and long-term physical health.
“We have shown that consuming walnuts during stressful periods can improve mental health and general well-being in university students, as well as being a healthy and delicious snack and a versatile ingredient in many recipes, to fight some negative effects of academic stress,” she says.
“Due to fewer numbers of males in the study, more research is needed to establish sex-dependent effects of walnuts and academic stress in university students.
“It’s also possible that a placebo effect might have come into play as this was not a blind study.”
