What if the key to acing exams was … edible?
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
In the hustle of academic life, stress becomes an unwelcome companion. Many factors can affect stress, including diet. Could the solution be as simple as … a snack?
Enter Mauritz Herselman and team at the University of South Australia.
They thought that walnuts might be the secret weapon against academic stress! Walnuts are high in omega-three fatty acids, known to reduce cortisol, the stress hormone.
They randomly assigned thirty participants to consume fifty-six grams of walnuts for sixteen weeks. Another thirty participants were assigned a nut-free diet for the same time. Researchers collected blood, saliva, and fecal samples from participants before, during, and after the study.
Results? Those who consumed walnuts had reduced biomarkers of stress!
Though walnuts may not be a cure-all for stress, a healthy diet can certainly help!!
So next time you’re stressed out, just go nuts! Walnuts, that is.
Reference: Herselman, M. F., Bailey, S., Deo, P., Zhou, X.-F., Gunn, K. M., & Bobrovskaya, L. (2022). The Effects of Walnuts and Academic Stress on Mental Health, General Well-Being and the Gut Microbiota in a Sample of University Students: A Randomised Clinical Trial. Nutrients, 14(22), 4776. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14224776