Gut microbiome research suggests positive impact on memory, mood from peanut consumption

Research from the University of Barcelona on the gut microbiota has found that daily consumption of peanuts and peanut butter can produce compounds in the gut that help improve memory and reduce stress response, including anxiety and depression, in healthy young adults. Findings from the ARISTOTLE study were published online in the Journal of Functional Foods this September and shared by The Peanut Institute. 

The study was conducted to explore what’s known as the gut-brain axis, which is a relatively new area of research that examines the biochemical communication between the gut and brain. The researchers used a novel method to identify phenolic compounds derived from digesting peanuts and peanut butter and how those compounds can promote better brain health.

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When compared to the control group, researchers found that those who consumed peanuts and peanut butter had higher levels of microbial phenolic metabolites (MPMs), which are compounds that can cross the blood-brain barrier and reach brain cells to protect them. Earlier results from the ARISTOTLE trial showed that participants who consumed peanuts and peanut butter experienced an improvement in memory and stress response, largely due to polyphenols in peanuts. 

The new findings confirm the ability of the gut microbiota to potentially produce compounds from peanut polyphenols that can improve brain response. The study showed that MPMs were associated with an improvement in memory and reduced stress. 

“Peanuts and peanut butter may have a beneficial effect on the gut microbiota because they are rich in prebiotic fiber and polyphenols,” says Dr. Isabella Parilli Moser, first author of the study. “Due to their very poor absorption, fiber and most polyphenols directly reach the colon, where they are metabolized by the gut microbiota, giving rise to new compounds (MPMs), which can have beneficial effects on the brain."

Dr. Sara Hurtado-Barroso, co-author of the study, adds, “Prebiotic substances present in peanuts and peanut butter, such as polyphenols, may positively affect cognition and mood by promoting production of microbial phenolic metabolites.” 

The six-month, randomized controlled trial was conducted with 63 healthy participants (44 females and 19 males) who were 18 to 33 years of age. The participants, who were mostly students, were from the University of Barcelona in Spain and consumed either one handful (25g) a day of roasted peanuts with skins or two tablespoons (32g) a day of peanut butter or two tablespoons (32 grams) a day of a control butter.

The young men and women followed their regular diet and consumed the peanut products at any time of the day. Wine, grapes, dark chocolate with more than 70% cacao and berries were excluded from the participants’ diets due to their high levels of resveratrol, an antioxidant present in peanuts. In addition, other nuts were excluded from the diet due to similar nutritional composition.

Addressing immune health in children

According to Shaillay Dogra, researched at the Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Switzerland, the development stages of the microbiome during the first years of age "before the microbiome reaches an adult-like composition and function between 3 and 5 years of age" are "crutcial windows of opportunity for long term health, primarily linked to appropriate immune and metabolic development."

The immunity boom has had at least a third of global consumers more worried about immunity than they were before, according to the World Health Organization, as reported by Innova Market Insights. Knowledge Sourcing Intelligence, LLP reported that, “The growing health awareness among the people, the increasing government initiatives to feed healthy products to children, and the growing literacy rate are expected to provide a significant push to [the] market, especially when it comes to child immunity and health.”

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Pre- and probiotics continue an upward trend

Consumer interest in the role of functional foods that help support immunity is still foremost in the “Better For You” category, and forecast to continue at the very least for another 5-7 years. And foremost among these functional foods and ingredients are fermented foods that are rich in probiotic bacteria and the fibers and starches they feed on. When active and combined, they physically help to build a healthy digestive system, as well as produce functional components that help protect against disease and dysfunction. Such fermented foods include yogurts, kefir, cottage cheese, and other cultured dairy, as well as sauerkraut and other fermented vegetables.

While it is widely accepted in the US that a probiotic is any beneficial microbial organism in our body, whether exogenous or endogenous, according to the EFSA—the European Food Safety Authority—only those beneficial microorganisms that we ingest are considered probiotic. This is the definition used by Prepared Foods, as it is more accurate. However, many of today’s food and beverage formulators, in a rush to serve the exponentially growing consumer demand for immunity-targeting products, are not always incorporating these ingredients correctly.

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New juice line addresses gut, bone, and joint health

REBBL®, an organic and plant-powered functional beverage brand, launched WELLNESS, its debut line of juice-based functional beverages and the first juices ever made with Aquamin™ calcified sea algae — a super ingredient clinically proven to support bone, joint and gut health. Offered in two refreshing varieties, Tropical Greens and Berry Roots, both WELLNESS juices are available at Whole Foods Market locations nationwide.

REBBL WELLNESS packs a punch with 4,700mg of Aquamin™ calcified sea algae to deliver over 73 essential minerals in every bottle. Derived from red algae, Aquamin™ offers a range of research-backed benefits, from improving digestive health and gut microbiome to helping combat inflammation to support joint and bone health.

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