Peanut Consumption on Cognitive Performance, Weight Management, and Inflammation in Young Adolescents

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are conducting a multi-school, two-arm parallel cluster-randomized controlled trial with 200 healthy young adolescents aged 10 to 12 years in Barcelona, Spain. The study aims to evaluate the effects of daily peanut consumption on cognitive performance, weight management, and inflammation. This research also includes an educational intervention promoting healthy dietary habits based on the Mediterranean diet, exercise, sleep, and emotional knowledge. The trial investigates how peanuts may influence brain function and overall health during adolescence, a key period for brain development and growth. Participants will first follow a peanut-free diet for two weeks before the study begins. Then, schools will be randomly assigned to either an intervention or control group. Both groups receive the educational program, but the intervention group will consume 25 grams of whole skin roasted peanuts daily as a snack for six months. Peanuts will be provided in monthly doses, and families will be supported with recipes and adherence monitoring. The control group will maintain usual care and avoid nut consumption during the study. Throughout the study, trained nurses and nutritionists will assess participants at baseline and after six months. Evaluations include cognitive tests measuring memory, attention, reasoning, and social cognition, as well as physical measurements like body composition, blood pressure, and biochemical markers related to inflammation and vascular health. Additional assessments cover diet, physical activity, sleep, pubertal development, and gut microbiota through biological samples. The researchers will track changes in depression scores, cognitive abilities, body mass index, and inflammatory biomarkers to understand peanut consumption's effects on adolescent health.

Peanut Consumption on Cognitive, Weight, and Inflammation