Alternative Health Blog

Cutting calories has been the centerpiece of pretty much every popular diet that has ever hit the bestseller list. The goal, of course, is usually to lose weight. New research suggests there might a surprising benefit: Improved memory.

A new study from German researchers said that individuals who reduce their daily intake of calories by 30 percent will perform significantly better on standardized memory test in just three months.

Think about that. Finding some way to cut out high-sugar desserts or junk-food snacks could not only make you leaner but also boost the brain. That’s what you might call food, er, less food for thought.

"Our study may help to generate novel prevention strategies to maintain cognitive functions into old age," Dr. A. Veronica Witte and colleagues from University of Munster wrote in the latest issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Earlier research has built evidence for the “caloric restriction movement” by showing that eating meals and snacks low in calories and high in unsaturated fat (think olive oil, fish, nuts) can enhance memory and overall brain function. Those unsaturated fats serve another practical purpose: You feel more full and satisfied after meals; you don’t need more calories.

In the German experiment, 50 volunteers, average age of 60, were divided into three groups. One group restricted calories by 30 percent, while a second group increased their intake of unsaturated fats by 20 percent but still at the same number of overall calories. A control group made no changes in eating habits.

Only the caloric-restriction improved on the memory tests. Another important finding: The caloric-restriction group had blood markers showing better insulin/blood sugar control and less inflammatory response. High blood sugar and diabetes have been linked in recent studies to Alzheimer’s disease.

"To our knowledge, the current results provide the first experimental evidence in humans that caloric restriction improves memory in the elderly," the German researchers wrote in the Jan. 27 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.  

Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.