Cognitive function in response to a pecan-enriched meal: a randomized, double-blind, cross-over study in healthy adults.

Objective: To examine cognitive responses to a pecan-enriched (68 g) meal or an isocaloric control meal in healthy adults.

Methods: Thirty-one adults completed a double-blind, randomized crossover trial with two testing visits: a pecan-enriched shake (PEC) (68 g pecans) or a high saturated fat shake as control (CON). A cognitive battery, visual analog scale for motivation, and the Stanford Sleepiness Scale were administered at fasting and 1, 2, 3, and 4 h postprandially.

Results: Consumption of the PEC shake led to superior cognitive performance in Rapid Visual Information Processing percent correct and false alarms (p = 0.021 and p = 0.001), Choice Reaction Time percent correct (p = 0.005), Digit Vigilance false alarms (p = 0.036), Immediate Word Recall correct and error responses (p = 0.007 and p = 0.008), and Delayed Word Recall correct and error responses (p = 0.002 for both). Conversely, CON led to better performance in Word Recognition percent correct and correct reaction time measures (p = 0.017 and p = 0.005) and Numeric Working Memory percent correct measures (p = 0.034).

Conclusion: Consumption of a pecan-enriched meal enhanced cognitive performance compared to control. More than one-third (8/23) of the cognitive measures were favorable for pecan (4 in attention and processing speed, 4 in memory and learning), whereas only 3 were favorable for control (2 in memory and learning, 1 in executive function).Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05230212.