Low-Carb Diets May Affect Cognition Skills

A new study from the psychology department at Tufts University shows that when dieters eliminate carbohydrates from
their meals, they performed more poorly on memory-based tasks than when they reduce calories, but maintain carbohydrates. When carbohydrates were reintroduced, cognition skills returned to normal.

"This study demonstrates that the food you eat can have an immediate impact on cognitive behavior," explains Holly A. Taylor, professor of psychology at Tufts and corresponding author of the study. "The popular low-carb, no-carb diets have the strongest potential for negative impact on thinking and cognition."

While the brain uses glucose as its primary fuel, it has no way of storing it. Rather, the body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose,which is carried to the brain through the blood stream and used immediately by nerve cells for energy. Reduced carbohydrate intake should thus reduce the brain's source of energy. Therefore, researchers hypothesized that diets low in carbohydrates would affect cognitive skills.

"Although this study only tracked dieting participants for three weeks, the data suggest that diets can affect more than just weight," saysTaylor. "The brain needs glucose for energy and diets low in carbohydrates can be detrimental to learning, memory and thinking."