Reduce Calories, Improve Memory
Mar 7th, 2009 by admin
Fifty healthy women (either normal weight or slightly overweight), between the ages of 50 to 80 showed an improved verbal memory test by 20% when they reduced their calorie intake by 30 percent for three months (besides also obviously losing weight as a beneficial side-effect).
The improved memory capability is believed to be caused by a decrease in inflammation. When inflammation decreases (as does the C-reactive protein), our cells become more sensitive to insulin. A lack of insulin sensitivity has been linked to poor neurological function, including poor memory function (as well as Type II Diabetes and Alzheimer’s Disease).
The study suggests that reducing caloric intake long-term has one more positive effect–increasing our brain function…possibly from preventing the aging of the body (and, therefore, aging of the brain). The author states that we need to live in a state of undernutrition without creating malnutrition.