Hawkeye Life of a Trainer Blog

Overeating can double your chance for memory loss

Did I get your attention?  I was surprised too when I read that headline.  According to the American Academy of Neurology consuming between 2,100 and 6,000 calories per day may double the risk of memory loss among people 70 and older.  I know you may be thinking you’re nowhere near 70 years old, but you probably know someone who is and someday hopefully you will be too.

The study that was done involved 1,233 people ranging from 70 to 89 years old with no history of dementia or MCI (mild cognitive impairment) except for 163 of them.  Each participant recorded the amount of calories they consumed.  The entire group was then grouped into thirds based on calorie consumption.  Group one consumed between 600 and 1,526 calories, group two consumed between 1,526 and 2,143 calories, and group three consumed between 2,143 and 6,000 calories per day.  The ending result was the odds of having MCI doubled for the people in the highest calorie consuming group compared to the lowest group, while there was no significant difference between the middle group and the lowest group.  According to Yonas E. Geda, MD, MSc "Cutting calories and eating foods that make up a healthy diet may be a simpler way to prevent memory loss as we age."  In conclusion eating a moderate amount of calories will not only help you maintain or lose weight, it will also help prevent memory loss as we get older.

Source:

http://www.aan.com/press/index.cfm?fuseaction=release.view&release=1023