I heard this bit of information on Cosmo’s 7 Things to Know Before You Go. I tried to find the recap but I couldn’t. I’m pretty sure they got the tidbit from this article from the Los Angeles Times. The information is interesting because it shows how what you eat can really affect your mental state.

A Few Walnuts a Day Can Help You Cope with Stress by Linda Shrieves

Eating a diet rich in walnuts or walnut oil could help your body deal better with stress, according to a new study from a team of Penn State researchers.
Following other studies which have shown that omega-3 fatty acids — like the alpha linolenic acid found in walnuts and flax seeds — can reduce bad cholesterol, Penn State researchers examined 22 healthy adults with elevated bad cholesterol (LDL) levels to see what effect a diet of walnuts and walnut oil might have.

The researchers found that including walnuts and walnut oil in the diet lowered both resting blood pressure and blood pressure responses to stress in the laboratory. To “stress” the participants, researchers had them give a speech or submerge a foot in cold water. “This is the first study to show that walnuts and walnut oil reduce blood pressure during stress,” said Sheila G. West, associate professor of biobehavioral health. “This is important because we can’t avoid all of the stressors in our daily lives. This study shows that a dietary change could help our bodies better respond to stress.”