Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government has commissioned research on the effect of consuming nuts on protecting against dementia.

The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition published a position statement on diet, cognitive impairment and dementias in 2018. The statement concluded that there was insufficient evidence to draw any conclusions on the association between diet, including the effect of eating nuts, on cognitive impairment or dementia. This is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sacn-statement-on-diet-cognitive-impairment-and-dementia

The statement broadly supports existing advice to eat a healthy diet as depicted in the Eatwell Guide. However, the report indicates that, overall, there is not currently enough evidence to support a relationship between diet and the prevention of dementia.