A recent study suggests that a minor adjustment to your diet might significantly lower your risk of developing dementia. According to research published in GeroScience, incorporating a small portion of nuts into your daily routine could reduce this risk by up to 12% compared to those who avoid nuts entirely.

The most notable protective benefits were observed when individuals consumed unsalted nuts in moderate amounts—about one handful, or roughly 30 grams, per day.

The study emphasized the importance of consistency in this dietary habit. The potential reduction in dementia risk remained consistent across different ages, genders, health behaviors, and pre-existing medical conditions.

The research utilized data from the UK Biobank collected between 2007 and 2023. It focused on analyzing the correlation between nut consumption and dementia risk, excluding participants with prior dementia diagnoses. Nut intake was initially recorded through a 24-hour dietary questionnaire, while dementia cases were tracked using hospital records, medical documents, and death certificates.

Participants who consumed nuts daily—up to three or more handfuls—experienced a 12% lower risk of developing dementia of any kind compared to those who did not eat nuts. This reduction was noted as a “significantly associated” decrease in the risk for conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, and vascular dementia.

Researchers highlighted this affordable, accessible, and effective snack as a potential strategy to combat dementia. The study concluded, “The daily consumption of nuts may play a protective role in the prevention of dementia.”

While 12 were previously known, two new risks have been added this year. The risk factors include:

Outlining the lifestyle elements which may heighten an individual’s risk, the research noted: “Evidence is increasing and is now stronger than before that tackling the many risk factors for dementia that we modelled previously reduces the risk of developing dementia. In this report, we add the new compelling evidence that untreated vision loss and high LDL cholesterol are risk factors for dementia.”