Study links high calorie intake with memory loss

Researchers may have found a link between memory loss and a high calorie diet, according to a new study set to be published by the American Academy of Neurology, reported the BBC.

Elderly people who consumed more than 2,143 calories a day doubled their risk of suffering from mild cognitive impairment, a type of memory loss, compared to those who ate fewer than 1,500 calories a day, said USA Today.

Yonas Geda, a neuropsychiatrist and lead author of the study conducted at Mayo Clinic, said, “We observed a dose-response pattern which simply means; the higher the amount of calories consumed each day, the higher the risk of MCI (mild cognitive impairment),” according to USA Today.

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The research team at Mayo Clinic investigated a sample group of 1,233 people aged between 70 and 89, with 163 of them diagnosed with MCI, said the BBC.

MCI is the step between normal forgetfulness and the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease, according to the National Institutes of Health. “People with MCI have mild problems with thinking and memory that do not interfere with everyday activities. They are often aware of the forgetfulness.”

However, the study does not establish whether a high calorie diet causes MCI or “people who are cognitively impaired could end up eating more food or there could be another factor involved which increases the risk of both,” said the BBC.

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