Report: Low-Carb Diet Impairs Mental Performance

The study looked at the impact of low-carb diets on the brain power of 19 women aged 22 to 55. The volunteers were put on either a low-calorie balanced diet or a low-carb diet.

After a week, the 10 women eating the low-carb diet were far poorer at performing mental tests than those on the conventional low- calorie diet.

The women were tested on their attention, long-term and short- term memory, visual attention and spatial memory, the part of the memory that records information about an individual's environment.

Those on a low-carb diet showed a gradual decline in ability to perform mental tasks compared with the low-calorie dieters. The researchers found their reaction time was more sluggish and their visual memory was not as good as those eating a balanced diet.

The research, published in the scientific journal Appetite, found there was no difference in the hunger levels of the women.

The scientists behind the study believe that low-carb diets reduce the amount of glucose or blood sugar carried to the brain and used by nerve cells for energy.