Too many calories could be bad for the brain
TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013 11:56 AM

For people of all ages, consuming calories is essential to getting through the day. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the calories found in food and beverages help individuals work, play and sleep. At the same time, consuming too many calories could be bad for the body.

Recently, researchers from the Picower Institute For Learning and Memory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as well as the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, found that reducing caloric intake may preserve brain function as individuals grow older. This study, which appears in "The Journal of Neuroscience," follows past research that linked a reduction in caloric intake to fewer neurological changes.

To learn more, the researchers worked with mice that had been genetically engineered to undergo brain changes linked to neurodegeneration at a rapid pace. For three months, the study subjects were put on a diet that had 30 percent fewer calories than what they normally ate. During this time frame, there was a noticeable delay in neurodegeneration.

With these findings in mind, individuals who have reduced their caloric intake may be curious to learn if their eating habits have influenced their cognitive function in any way. To find out, they could take an IQ test.