What researchers are hoping to learn

Q. With the Walnuts and Healthy Aging study, you are looking specifically to seniors. What prompted that decision?

A. We are looking for seniors because they are at the age when evidence of aging starts to appear. While it has been hypothesized that walnuts are good for the brain or good for the eyesight, this has not been established by direct evidence. We want to explore whether this is true or not. We need seniors to participate and help us find the answer.

Q. Is it true this is one of the largest scientific studies on the health benefits of walnuts?

A. Yes, we have done studies with walnuts where one group ate them and another did not for a few weeks, but we have never done a dietary study that has a two-year duration. The importance of this is to allow for time to take its course over the aging process and to increase the power or accuracy of our study so that the conclusions drawn will be valid.

Q. What might be learned?

A. We already know that eating walnuts decreases blood cholesterol and thus may lower the risk for heart disease, but we do not know if walnuts help other health factors, such as brain function or eyesight. There have been rumors and speculations but no solid evidence, so we are excited that this will be the first study of its kind to directly explore the relationship between walnuts and other health factors.

Q. Why should seniors join the study?

First and foremost, those who volunteer for the study will advance scientific knowledge and contribute to nutritional literature and facts.

People underestimate the importance of diet studies and the effects that food has on our bodies.

Secondly, it is a free living study, where participants may continue with their habitual activities and lifestyle. A participant does not have to be or become vegetarian, or a fitness-lover, or change any aspect of their lifestyle.

Thirdly, the results of all the tests that will be provided at the end of the study will amount to about $2,000 worth of health tests, which will be provided for free to all the participants.