MEMORY AND WHAT YOU EAT

FROM:  HHS HealthBeat (May 10, 2012) 
Overeating, aging and memory loss
A study indicates overeating may eat into older peoples’ ability to remember. Researcher Yonas Geda of the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, saw it in data on more than 1,200 people ages 70 and 89.

Dr. Geda says people who ate more than around 2,200 calories a day had more than twice the risk of mild cognitive impairment, a form of memory loss. But calories of around 1,600 to 2,200 did not show the risk.
So Dr. Geda says:

“Watching one’s diet has benefit for many things. In fact, one thing I heard is that what is good for your heart is good for your brains.”
The study for the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

MEMORY AND CONSUMING TOO MANY CALORIES

FROM:  HHS HealthBeat (May 2, 2012)
Calories and memory loss
Those with mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, have more than normal memory problems.  At the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, researchers looked at the association between eating and memory. Researchers compared eating habits and diagnosis of MCI, in one thousand participants, ages 70 and older.

Yonas Geda is at the Mayo Clinic.
“Caloric consumption over 2,143 calories per day is associated with twice increased risk of having mild cognitive impairment.” It’s important to see your doctor regularly to check for signs of serious memory loss.

The study was presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology and supported by the National Institutes of Health.