JN: Almonds do not relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression

Almonds do not significantly alleviate mild to moderate symptoms of anxiety and depression. Scientists from King’s College London reached this conclusion following a 12-week experiment involving 84 people. The findings were published in The Journal of Nutrition (JN).

The participants had an average age of 25. One group ate 56 grams of almonds every day, while the control group received a different snack with approximately the same calorie content. By the end of the experiment, the severity of anxiety and depression symptoms had changed by roughly the same amount in both groups, with no statistically significant difference detected by the researchers.

Almonds also had no effect on the composition of the gut microbiota or levels of short-chain fatty acids — substances produced by gut bacteria that may be involved in communication between the gut and the brain. Thus, the study did not support the hypothesis that regular almond consumption could improve mental well-being through changes in the gut.

However, participants who consumed almonds were less likely to experience hard stools. The nuts had no noticeable effect on other gastrointestinal symptoms.

The authors note that these findings do not mean almonds are generally useless for health. However, their ability to reduce anxiety and depression remains unproven. According to the researchers, the potential effects of nuts on mental health require longer-term studies and trials involving larger numbers of participants.

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