So, it looks like eating smaller, healthier diets aren’t just good for your longevity, looks, ticker and joints; research is beginning to show it spices up your brains, too. Thus far, there isn’t a lot of evidence supporting the notion that calorie restriction has the same benefits for humans as it does for research critters, but that doesn’t stop people from trying. That said, a new study at the University of Münster, in Germany, adds another facet to the argument behind cutting calories for better health: older folks who ate a reduced-calorie diet performed better in memory tests, representing the first documented and published evidence that calorie restriction could prevent mental decline in humans.

Study participants were from a variety of weight ranges, so cutting back calories didn’t necessarily translate into substantial or dramatic weight loss; however, it did enable many of them to reach a healthier weight.

It’s not clear what role the nutrient balance (protein/fat/carbs) plays in these findings — of the three groups in the study (control, calorie-restricted, and shifting from saturated to unsaturated fats), the calorie-restricted group was the only one to show improved cognitive performance after three months.  The associated benefits of moderating eating habits — healthier insulin levels and other metabolic indicators — show an improvement across the whole spectrum.

There was an almost direct correlation between insulin levels and inflammation (which are commonly found in folks who are overweight or otherwise taking in too many calories on a regular basis) and cognitive performance in the study. My underlying, common-sense, reaction to these findings is, “Digestion is hard work, and takes energy and resources away from other things your body can or should be doing for performance and maintenance.”

Image Courtesy of Mikeblogs