Comments on: Less Food=More Memory? http://www.lumosity.com/blog/less-foodmore-memory/ Brain games, neuroscience news, and the best brain health information. Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:13:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Kristoffer http://www.lumosity.com/blog/less-foodmore-memory/comment-page-1/#comment-19979 Kristoffer Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:24:55 +0000 http://www.lumosity.com/blog/?p=868#comment-19979 Those counterpoints make sense, and the study is still pending. But it does make sense to me. Before I even started Lumosity, people were amazed at my ability to remember things in both the short-term and long-term and would always use me as a walking post-it note. I maintain a very healthy lifestyle, and one of the things I do is eat only once a day and avoid all sweets. (But I do admit that the one meal that I do eat at night is huge.) Those counterpoints make sense, and the study is still pending. But it does make sense to me. Before I even started Lumosity, people were amazed at my ability to remember things in both the short-term and long-term and would always use me as a walking post-it note. I maintain a very healthy lifestyle, and one of the things I do is eat only once a day and avoid all sweets. (But I do admit that the one meal that I do eat at night is huge.)

]]> By: integralmeditation http://www.lumosity.com/blog/less-foodmore-memory/comment-page-1/#comment-10941 integralmeditation Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:42:56 +0000 http://www.lumosity.com/blog/?p=868#comment-10941 One concept that I've seen in brain training is that it is often the differences in activity that produces changes. If you compare the brain study to basic muscle flexibility which is a similar physical system, the less fat people seem more flexible because they havent got as much fat about them stopping them moving and they tend to do more also because they havent got as much of a "gut full" feeling. More activity generally means more plastic. If that person holds the slice of cake back there's generally more activity and opportunity for physical and brain activity rather than sitting munching. One concept that I’ve seen in brain training is that it is often the differences in activity that produces changes.
If you compare the brain study to basic muscle flexibility which is a similar physical system, the less fat people seem more flexible because they havent got as much fat about them stopping them moving and they tend to do more also because they havent got as much of a “gut full” feeling. More activity generally means more plastic.
If that person holds the slice of cake back there’s generally more activity and opportunity for physical and brain activity rather than sitting munching.

]]> By: Joi http://www.lumosity.com/blog/less-foodmore-memory/comment-page-1/#comment-10740 Joi Sun, 15 Feb 2009 04:01:50 +0000 http://www.lumosity.com/blog/?p=868#comment-10740 Sigh. And the cake looks so amazing. Just one bite??? Sigh. And the cake looks so amazing. Just one bite???

]]> By: Gregory Kellett http://www.lumosity.com/blog/less-foodmore-memory/comment-page-1/#comment-10435 Gregory Kellett Tue, 27 Jan 2009 21:53:32 +0000 http://www.lumosity.com/blog/?p=868#comment-10435 Excellent point. That is yet another factor that could be at play here. The study details are still in press and not yet available on pubmed,...but it would be interesting to see if they specify what types of calories were restricted. Excellent point. That is yet another factor that could be at play here. The study details are still in press and not yet available on pubmed,…but it would be interesting to see if they specify what types of calories were restricted.

]]> By: SleepWarrior http://www.lumosity.com/blog/less-foodmore-memory/comment-page-1/#comment-10434 SleepWarrior Tue, 27 Jan 2009 21:34:49 +0000 http://www.lumosity.com/blog/?p=868#comment-10434 These studies are too general. The improved performance could be due to a decrease in carbohydrate consumption. The modern high-carb low-fat diet is completely backward from an evolutionary perspective. A high-carb diet soaks the brain in glucose and insulin, causing insulin resistance (and thus poor glucose metabolism), as well as abnormally high serotonin levels (resulting in, yes, serotonin resistance), among other neurotransmitter imbalances (e.g. dopamine). Glucose metabolism and a healthy serotonin and dopamine system are critical for memory and mental energy. I really wonder how much of the improvement was from calorie restriction, and how much was from glucose (i.e. carbohydrate) restriction. These studies are too general.

The improved performance could be due to a decrease in carbohydrate consumption.

The modern high-carb low-fat diet is completely backward from an evolutionary perspective.

A high-carb diet soaks the brain in glucose and insulin, causing insulin resistance (and thus poor glucose metabolism), as well as abnormally high serotonin levels (resulting in, yes, serotonin resistance), among other neurotransmitter imbalances (e.g. dopamine).

Glucose metabolism and a healthy serotonin and dopamine system are critical for memory and mental energy. I really wonder how much of the improvement was from calorie restriction, and how much was from glucose (i.e. carbohydrate) restriction.

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