Maastricht Study Finds 60 Grams of Daily Peanuts Boost Brain Insulin Response

3 articles · Updated · Morningstar · Oct 27

A 16-week trial in 31 adults aged 60-75 found that 60 grams of unsalted, skin-roasted peanuts a day improved insulin responsiveness in memory-related brain regions.
Brain imaging showed the effect in a right-hemisphere cluster including the hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, posterior cingulate and lingual gyrus, areas tied to memory and cognitive function.
The randomized crossover study measured regional cerebral blood flow changes after intranasal insulin using ASL-MRI, giving researchers a controlled way to assess brain insulin response.
Earlier work by the same team in 2025 linked the same 16-week peanut intervention to a 3.6% rise in global cerebral blood flow and a 5.8% gain in verbal memory.