In a brain imaging study conducted at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, researchers were able to prove that eating walnuts activates the area of the brain that regulates hunger and cravings. When study participants were fed walnuts a part of the brain called the right insula showed an increase in activity and the participants made healthier food choices; when they were fed a nut-free placebo diet there was no activity increase or change in diet. The right insula is responsible for cognitive control so that is clear indication that walnuts can affect the appetite-control centres of the brain.
