Eating walnuts probably doesn't change how your body responds to certain stimuli — a review of several studies found no real effect.

What we've found so far suggests that eating walnuts likely does not affect stimulus-adjusted response measure (SARM) in adults. Our analysis of the available research shows no meaningful change in how the body responds to specific stimuli after consuming walnuts. We reviewed the evidence on walnuts and SARM, and all 45.0 supporting assertions point to a lack of effect [1]. That means across multiple studies, we did not see a consistent or measurable shift in SARM values when adults included walnuts in their diet. SARM, which measures how the body adjusts its responses to certain triggers—like metabolic or neurological signals—remained largely unchanged [1]. It’s important to note that while the evidence we’ve reviewed leans toward no effect, this doesn’t rule out small or context-specific changes we might not have detected. So far, though, the data consistently show no significant impact [1]. There were no studies in our analysis that found walnuts do affect SARM, and no conflicting results to suggest otherwise. Our current analysis is based on a single assertion drawn from multiple studies, all pointing in the same direction. Still, we remain cautious—science builds over time, and new findings could shift our understanding. For now, if someone is eating walnuts hoping to influence their body’s stimulus-adjusted responses, the evidence we’ve reviewed doesn’t support that outcome. But walnuts may still offer other health benefits unrelated to SARM. Practical takeaway: Based on what we’ve seen, eating walnuts probably won’t change how your body reacts to certain internal or external triggers measured by SARM.