In a recent study, older adults who condensed their calorie intake by about 30 percent performed better on memory tests.
Some animal studies suggest that low-calorie diets rich in unsaturated-fatty acids, like nuts, avocados and olive oil, may be beneficial for brain function in aging rats. In this latest study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers aimed to determine if these same effects apply to humans.
The authors studied 50 older adults (average age: 60) whose weight ranged from healthy to overweight. The participants were divided into three groups. One group reduced their calorie intake by up to 30 percent. The second group increased their unsaturated fatty acids intake by up to 20 percent, and the third group served as the control and did not change their eating habits.
The researchers tested the participants’ memory at the beginning and end of the three-month-long study. They found that verbal memory scores significantly increased an average of 20 percent by the end of the study in the reduced-calorie group. These memory improvements were also associated with decreases in insulin levels and C-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation). No significant changes in memory were reported in the other two groups.
Although these early results are promising, additional well-designed trials are needed to fully understand how a low-calorie diet may affect brain functioning.
For more information about a low-calorie diet, please visit Natural Standard’s Health & Wellness database.
