title: Effects of Walnut Consumption on Mood in Young Adults-A Randomized Controlled Trial.
abstract: Walnuts contain a number of potentially neuroprotective compounds like vitamin E, folate, melatonin, several antioxidative polyphenols and significant amounts of ω-3 fatty acids. The present study sought to determine the effect of walnuts on mood in healthy volunteers. Sixty-four college students were randomly assigned to two treatment sequences in a crossover fashion: walnut-placebo or placebo-walnut. At baseline mood was assessed using Profiles of Mood States (POMS). Data was collected again after eight weeks of intervention. After six-weeks of washout, the intervention groups followed the diets in reverse order. Data was collected once more at the end of the eight-week intervention period. No significant changes in mood were observed in the analyses with both genders combined and in females. However, we have observed a significant medium effect size improvement in the Total Mood Disturbance score (-27.49%,p= 0.043, Cohen's d = 0.708) in males. In non-depressed healthy young males, walnuts seem to have the ability to improve mood.
authors: Nutrition Program, Department of Individual, Family & Community Education, College of Education, University of New Mexico, Hokona Hall 157 MSC05 3040, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001, USA. pribis@unm.edu.
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Pribis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001939:Bread; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D055951:Functional Food; D006801:Humans; D031324:Juglans; D008297:Male; D008824:Michigan / Q000453:epidemiology; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009754:Nuts; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012306:Risk; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013334:Students; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: RCT; males; mood; randomized controlled trial; walnuts