According to a study by the University of South Australia in Australia, walnuts help prevent the effects of academic stress from studying on the body and mind.
The study suggests that adding walnuts to daily diets can benefit college students, especially while preparing for exams.
While studying at the university, the research team conducted a clinical trial focused on undergraduates. Results showed that walnut consumption was related to measures of improvement in mental health and overall well-being.
Professor Larisa Bobrovskaya and Ph.D. student Mauritz Herselman, who led the study, pointed out that there is growing evidence that walnut consumption improves brain and gut health.
Previous studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, melatonin, polyphenols, folic acid, and vitamin E found in walnuts all contribute to brain and gut benefits.
"Students continue to experience academic stress while attending school. This stress negatively affects their mental health, and they are particularly vulnerable during the test, Hersselman pointed out.
For the survey, 80 students were divided into treatment groups and control groups. And they were clinically evaluated by dividing them into three intervals. At the beginning of the 13th week of the semester, it was divided into two weeks during the exam and after the exam.
Study participants in the treatment group ate walnuts every day for 16 weeks at these three intervals. The research team said, "People who consumed about half a cup of walnut every day showed improved results in self-reported mental health indicators. And in the long run, metabolic biomarkers and overall sleep quality have improved," he said.
Students in the control group who did not eat walnuts reported increased depression and stress until they took the test, but those who ate walnuts did not experience this problem.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently announced that 75% of young people under the age of 24 complain of mental health problems, especially college students' mental health is vulnerable. According to Professor Bobrovskaya, mental health disorders are common in college students and can adversely affect their academic performance and long-term physical health. He said, "We have shown that eating walnuts during stressful periods is not only a healthy and delicious snack, but can also improve the mental health and general well-being of college students to combat the negative effects of academic stress."
Writer: Yeyoung Jeon
(Picture from Unsplash)
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