Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Cutting Calories May Help Maintain Memory

Cutting calories is a great way to keep the body in shape, but research has now shown that it may also be a way to improve memory and mental health. Cutting down on calories and having a healthier diet has always been seen as a way to help the brain function more efficiently, but what researchers found through a study was a possible connection between dieting and improved memory. A study was conducted with three different groups of individuals with an average age of around 60. The first group cut their daily intake of calories by 30%, the second group increased their calorie intake day to day, and the third group acted as a control and didn’t change anything regarding their diets.

Participants had their memories tested before changing their diets and then again months after completing the study. The research showed that the seniors who cut down on their calorie intake had higher scores regarding verbal memory than the other groups. This presents and interesting link between a good diet and improved memory, but some scientists are still skeptical. Many argue that the testing group was still too small and that the testing didn’t show if the memory improvement lasted over time or just day to day. However, aside from this study, cutting down on calories is generally linked with a higher level of physical fitness and ultimately a healthier lifestyle which includes a healthy brain.

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