The claim

「Walnuts boost the brain because they look like one」

Q: Walnuts boost the brain because they look like one

Myth — The idea that "like nourishes like" has no biochemical mechanism behind it — every food is digested, absorbed, biotransformed and transported, so eating a thing cannot top up the matching body part. On walnuts specifically: they do contain alpha-linolenic acid, but perilla seed oil (67%) and flaxseed oil (55%) contain far more, so walnuts are neither the richest source nor the only one. And to date there is no direct evidence that eating walnuts raises IQ or exam scores. Walnuts are a good nut — eat them normally, just not as brain medicine.

Verdict

Myth

The idea that "like nourishes like" has no biochemical mechanism behind it — every food is digested, absorbed, biotransformed and transported, so eating a thing cannot top up the matching body part. On walnuts specifically: they do contain alpha-linolenic acid, but perilla seed oil (67%) and flaxseed oil (55%) contain far more, so walnuts are neither the richest source nor the only one. And to date there is no direct evidence that eating walnuts raises IQ or exam scores. Walnuts are a good nut — eat them normally, just not as brain medicine.

Sources

人民网健康 · People.cn Health (published by People's Daily)
人民网健康·生活（人民日报社主办）. (2019/02/19). 「吃核桃不补脑」，「以形补形不科学」应成常识. http://health.people.com.cn/n1/2019/0219/c14739-30805050.html
Direct source · Established news media · checked 2026-08-02

「Walnuts boost the brain because they look like one」

Verdict

Sources

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Further reading