Here’s another reason to watch your diet: Eating too much can substantially increase your risk of memory loss, according to new research.
The study, conducted at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, focused on people 70 years and older. Researchers found that the risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) may double in people who eat more than 2,143 calories per day.
“We observed a dose-response pattern which simply means the higher the amount of calories consumed each day, the higher the risk of mild cognitive impairment,” study author Yonas E. Geda, M.D., MSc, a neurologist and psychiatrist, said in a statement.
The results were the same after being adjusted for patients who had diabetes or a history of stroke, both of which can affect memory.
MCI is a midpoint that comes between normal cognitive function and dementia. The symptoms include problems with memory, thinking and judgment that are more severe that conventional age-related changes. People with MCI are at higher risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer’s, but the decline isn’t inevitable.
“Cutting calories and eating foods that make up a healthy diet may be a simpler way to prevent memory loss as we age,” Geda said. “What’s good for your heart is good for your brain.”
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