MARKETING & TRADE
2025 Almond Ashes cricket match to be played in Australia
AUSTRALIA ' S almond marketers and India ’ s almond sellers are set to do battle for the Almond Ashes again in 2025 , but things will be a bit different this year . Up until now this match has been played at an indoor cricket venue on the eve of Gulfood , the largest food exhibition in Dubai . In 2025 the Almond Ashes will be played in Australia for the first time and coincide with the almond harvest . “ Indian almond buyers will get the opportunity to visit Australia ’ s largest almond growing region while the new season crop is being shaken from the trees and delivered to processors ,” ABA CEO Tim Jackson said . The Almond Board of Australia expects a large contingent of industry representatives will fly to Australia for the event , which will culminate with an Australian Almonds marketing update the following morning . “ The Almond Ashes has proven to be an invaluable icebreaker and way to build relationships in one of our key
The Almond Ashes will be played in Australia for the first time , coinciding with the 2025 harvest and bringing Indian almond buyers to Australia ' s larget almond growing region .
export markets ,” Mr Jackson said . The Mildura Lawn Tennis Club has agreed to host the event , enabling box-style cricket , a popular format of the game in India to be played . “ Instead of playing on an oval , the match will be played on a rectangular field , where traditionally all sides of the boundary are fenced and the fielding team is only allowed to have eight players on the ground ,” Mr Jackson said . This won ’ t be the Mildura Lawn Tennis Club ’ s first international event , having hosted the Davis Cup in 1998 . Currently India leads the Almond Ashes series 3-2 but Mr Jackson hopes the home turf advantage will help the Australians in 2025 .
Nuts may help prevent dementia
A DAILY handful of nuts may play a protective role in preventing dementia , according to new research published in the journal GeroScience ( 1 ). The UK-based study analysed data from 50,386 participants , with an average ( mean ) age of 56.5 years , and without dementia , at the start of the study . They were tracked across seven years . All-cause dementia ( that is , Alzheimer ’ s disease , frontotemporal dementia , or vascular dementia ) was assessed at baseline and at follow-up . And a 24-hour dietary questionnaire at baseline was used to assess nut consumption . At the end of the study , the incidence of all-cause dementia was 2.8 % ( 1,422 cases ). Daily nut consumption was linked with a 12 % lower risk of all-cause dementia , compared with not eating nuts . Digging deeper , nut consumption of up to one 30g handful a day , and consumption of unsalted nuts , offered the greatest benefits . The findings back up another study , published in 2023 , which found a link between nut consumption and delayed cognitive decline in at-risk older adults – even over a relatively short two-year period ( 2 ).
And in a recent randomised trial , cerebral blood flow , a marker of brain vascular function , was higher in certain regions of the brain , after eating 60g mixed nuts / day for 16 weeks , compared with control ( 3 ). Accredited Practising Dietitian Jemma O ’ Hanlon said this new study , combined with existing research on dementia should be looked at more closely . “ It ’ s never too late to start eating nuts to reduce the risk of dementia and there ’ s so many other benefits as well ,” she said . “ They ’ re a plant protein and they ’ re like little vitamin pills in themselves .” Nuts and brain health fact sheet
1 . Bizzozero-Peroni , B ., et al . Nut consumption is associated with a lower risk of all-cause dementia in adults : A community-based cohort study from the UK Biobank . GeroScience , 2024 . https :// doi . org / 10.1007 / s11357-024-01365-z
2 . Ni J ., et al . Higher versus lower nut consumption and changes in cognitive performance over two years in a population at risk of cognitive decline : A cohort study . Am J Clin Nutr , 2023 . https :// doi . org / 10.1016 / j . ajcnut . 2023.05.032
3 . Nijssen , K ., et al . Longer-term mixed nut consumption improves brain vascular function and memory : A randomized , controlled crossover trial in older adults . Clinical Nutrition , 2023 . https :// doi . org / 10.1016 / j . clnu . 2023.05.025
38 In A Nutshell - Summer 2024 Vol 25 Issue 4