Have you noticed that walnuts look like brains?

Add Gen Z cognition support to your food and beverage products' functional benefit stack with California walnuts.

New research from the University of Reading of 32 healthy young adults ages 18-30 found that participants who ate 50g of walnuts mixed into a breakfast cereal or yogurt experienced faster reaction times and improved memory performance later in the day compared to eating an equivalent caloric breakfast without nuts. While these results are encouraging, larger and longer term studies are needed to confirm effects as well as to clarify these findings in other populations.

This study boosts walnuts' growing reputation as a brain food that may help product developers who are looking for stacked ingredients: walnuts also deliver incredible texture and a complex flavor profile.

Deeper Dive: Walnuts are the only nut that's an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. One ounce of walnuts offers 18 grams of total fat, 2.5 grams of monounsaturated fat and 13 grams of polyunsaturated fat including 2.5 grams of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)-the plant-based omega-3. ALA has been associated with potential benefits for brain health.

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