Test anxiety? Thanks to a recent study it has been found that the consumption of walnuts helps to reduce the negative effects of study stress.

Recently, the State University of Milan has identified an increase in requests for psychotherapeutic support from students suffering from various types of stress-related disorders.

University students are subject to considerable psychological pressure linked to the passage into adulthood together with the completion of a school course and the search for a job.

Adopting an ad hoc diet, however, can counteract this type of disorder. How? By increasing the consumption of walnuts!

A study from the University of South Australia confirmed that simply eating 50 grams of nuts every day can help improve certain factors, linked to study stress.

The study found that students who consumed walnuts for four months had a lower impact of the negative effects of stress on mental health. Stress and depression, in fact, occurred less frequently, as the daily consumption of nuts increased total levels of protein and albumin, protecting students from the negative effects of stress. 

Finally, those who consumed their daily portion of walnuts also showed an improvement in sleep quality. 

This study therefore shows that the consumption of walnuts, in addition to reducing the symptoms of stress and depression, produces positive effects on cognitive abilities and mental health, thanks to their content of omega-3 ALA and tryptophan, which the brain uses to produce serotonin, the so-called “happiness hormone“.

Bibliography:

• Herselman MF, Bailey S, Deo P, Zhou X-F, Gunn KM, Bobrovskaya L. 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. 2022; 14(22):4776.