New Way To Improve Your Memory – Calorie Restriction

May 25, 2009 by GiGi

Welcome back!

Calorie Restriction Improves Memory? A new German study has come out that with some surprising results – women who reduced their calorie intake also improved their memory AND in only 3 months!

The study was done on women ages 50-80 who were either of normal weight or slightly overweight. Listen to this – “The average body mass index was 28, which is about 175 pounds for a woman who is 5′6″. “ Excuse me – since when is 175 pounds SLIGHTLY overweight?

It was a relatively small study, but the women who reduced their calorie intake by 30% scored 20% higher on verbal memory tests after 3 months. It turns out that calorie restriction helps by boosting insulin sensitivity and fighting inflammation. However, you can also get similar results by exercising.

The women were not encouraged to reduce their calories too much – they had to eat a minimum of 1,200 calories per day. And they don’t recommend thin women try this – the risk of falls and fractures increases if you lose too much.

One professor “agreed that seeing results after such a relatively short period of calorie restriction was surprising. It provides more evidence that what’s going on in the rest of the body, from inflammation to belly fat, can have major effects on the brain. It may very well be it’s the aging of the body that promotes the aging of the brain.”

You probably already know my opinion about calorie restriction, but if you haven’t read about the benefits of it, try this article:

Calorie Restriction and Aging

The good news is that exercise may also help improve memory – yay! THAT’S something I can do!