School of Weight Loss

Please note that I am not a fan of cutting calories for weight loss purposes, but this topic intrigued me for health reason so I decided to post it.  I think there are ways to get these same health benefits described below without cutting calories.

Just when you thought you had heard everything there is, a new study that tells us that cutting calories can actually help improve memory. This is particularly helpful for people over 50 who start to have challenges with remembering.

The study that appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Journal was done by researchers at the University of Munster. The study consisted of three groups of 50 elderly people with an average age of 60 years. They split the volunteers into three groups: Group 1 received a balanced diet with a normal number of calories, Group 2 received a balanced diet that added a high amount of unsaturated fatty acids and Group 3 received a calorie restricted diet.

This study carried out for awhile and after three months each group was given a memory test; the third group performed better than the other two on the test. This third group also showed physical signs of less inflammation and lower insulin levels which according to researchers, could explain why their memory was better.

The researchers feel that this information can help develop better strategies for adults as they age, to create better cognitive health. Eating a restricted calorie diet also needs to make sure that the individual receives the proper vitamins and minerals that are consistent with their needs. These were supplemented to the volunteers as necessary.

This information was not given so that people will rush out to create restricted calorie diets. This would be dangerous because the restriction would be different for each person, and they really need to be seen by a doctor. Instead, the research gives insight into what can happen for a variety of illnesses.

As an example, people suffering from Type2 Diabetes can improve their memories and drop their insulin levels by restricting their calories. Of course this too should be done under the direction of a doctor, but it is important to recognize this as a first step.

The reason researchers started this study was because they found that rats who received a diet fewer in calories by 30% seemed to improve their memory. We are not sure how that related to humans, but they decided that they should at least try to see if this also made sense.

Other physicians warn that this is only part of the picture and that there needs to be more study in the area to be certain that this works. They also caution that people who are at average weight or who are under weight should not use this type of diet.

Whether it improves memory or not it does seem that losing weight can help eliminate several health problems. There are studies that have been done to show that loss of even 10 pounds can lower blood pressure. This new study just adds to the fact that losing weight and getting into shape can assist in many ways that may not have been known prior to now. It will be interesting to see what they find out as they continue this research.

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