MIDDAY "MEMORY LOSS"-EFFECT OF CALORIES

Those who are embarrassed often because of sudden forgetfulness during day time know how frustrating it is to remember or recall some thing when required. Though many start worrying whether they are victims of the dreaded "Dementia" or it is the early sign of Alzheimer's disease recent reports suggest that same might not be very serious to be unduly alarmed about. Cognitive ability does decline with progress of age. For a normal individual it is a minor consequence of aging, with declining faculties like vision, hearing, taste perception, skin sensitivity, tooth decay etc, which one eventually learns to live with.. According to new studies food can cause mild cognitive impairment if consumed in quantities beyond what is really required in terms of calories. Here is a take on this important revelation that may help people to avoid over eating.   

"Older people who consumed more than 2,143 calories a day had more than double the risk of a type of memory loss called mild cognitive impairment compared to those who ate fewer than 1,500 calories a day, according to a study being released Sunday by the American Academy of Neurology on its website (aan.com). The more calories older people consumed, the more likely they were to have mild cognitive impairment, says Yonas Geda, lead author of the study and a neuropsychiatrist at Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz. Other investigators from Australia have shown that excessive calorie intake is associated with a greater risk of mild cognitive impairment, he says. MCI is the condition between normal forgetfulness due to aging and early Alzheimer's disease. People with MCI have problems with memory, language or thinking severe enough to be noticeable to other people and to show up on tests, but not serious enough to interfere with daily life, according to the Alzheimer's Association. People are often aware of the forgetfulness".

It is by now well established that a diet low in calories is healthful and helps extending one's life span. Distinct from a starvation diet, sub-optimal calorie load is considered perfectly in order, especially for fully grown adults and elderly persons without causing any disorders. This is an area where some more clarity is needed before fully subscribing to such an eating regime. The 1200 kc diet supposed to be ideal for longevity cannot be a universal recipe because energy requirement, beyond the need for basal metabolism, is proportional to the physical activity and an active human with heavy work style obviously cannot be expected to sustain on such a sub-optimal diet. Similarly the 1500 calories diet that is claimed to help avoid MCI also needs appropriate corrections depending on the rigorousness of daily work. Nonetheless this is an important finding warning against overeating that can be detrimental, viewed from all angles.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
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