Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Calories and memories

Eating fewer calories may improve older people's memories, according to research carried out by the University of Munster in Germany. The study had 50 participants who were either normal weight or overweight. They were divided into three groups: one cut their calories by 30%, another group increased their consumption of unsaturated fatty acids by up to 20% and a third group made no changes. After three months the group who restricted their calories showed, on average, a 20% increase in their verbal memory scores whereas the other group showed no significant changes in their memory performance. The memory improvements in the calorie-restricted groups were correlated with a decrease in their insulin levels and in substances associated with inflammation in the body.

You can find out more about this research at

http://uk.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUKTRE50Q7S220090127?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

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