Atkins Diet Plan
Does Atkins Diet Plan Impair Memory?
Tufts University in Boston has concluded that those who follow a low carbohydrate diet experience a decline in mental performance. The University study involved women who were either put on a reduced carb diet like the Atkins Diet Plan or those who ate normally in a control group.
The results were that those on Atkins style plans showed lower scores in mental testing with immediate and gradual declines over the length of the study that looked at long-term and short-term memory, visual attention and spatial memory. The results maybe due to lower levels of glucose that the brains nerve cells require to function optimally.
Lead researcher Dr Holly Taylor said:
“The study demonstrates that the food you eat can have an immediate impact on cognitive behaviour.
“The popular low-carb and no-carb diets have the strongest potential for negative impact on thinking and cognition.” She added: “Although this study only tracked participants for three weeks, the data suggests that diets can affect more than just weight.
“The brain needs glucose for energy, and diets low in carbohydrates can be detrimental to learning, memory and thinking.”
You might want to reconsider going on that low carb diet if your a student about to face those big exams or perhaps they might be causing your recent low test scores. Your job performance could also drop if it relies heavily on your mental sharpness.
