Picture courtesy of Fish & Co.
Let’s get started in improving the functioning of your gray matter, shall we? New research has found that your memory powers could be sharper if you passed on that extra serving of scrumptious, calorie-laden, rum-drenched fruit cake that was offered to you after the satisfying Christmas dinner. Well, not in those specific terms; but you get the point. Go light on the heavy calorie food. Apply that principle to your little ones as well.
A Toronto-trained researcher, together with his team, isolated a molecule in the brain that is supposed to improve alertness and long-term memory by carrying out experiments with low calorie diets. They identified that the CREB1 molecule is very important to reap the benefits of a reasonable diet.
Dr. Giovambattista Pani of the Catholic University in Rome, who did his research-training at Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital, said: “People knew that eating less is good for the brain. We did not know why.”
The study
It was documented, that mice (with standard CREB1) performed their very best when they were on a calorie-restricted diet. What this meant was that the mice would only consume up to 70% of the food that they’d normally eat. However, mice without CREB1 showed no benefits from the restricted diet.
Human clinical trials have yet to be conducted and Pani said: “We’re pretty confident that human trials will produce very similar results. CREB1 has already shown to be involved in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.”
So with this info, we can start the brain-boosting process now and skip the extra calories we do not need to consume. But if you’re still not convinced that you have to sacrifice those delicious goodies — it is all right…
Should you pass it up?
Pani added: “If you just cut 25 per cent of your calories, it’s very likely to be good for your brain. It’s not that much, just the cake, so it’s not really starving.”
For those who still want to indulge this festive season there is good news for you; Pani is on your side: “On Christmas, a person should eat as much as he or she wants. In general, the strength of nutrition is in the long run. Ninety-nine days out of 100, you should eat in a moderate way.”
Helpful links:
Diet Plain: Simplicity is key
Eat smart to ace exams
Boost your kid’s learning power
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