Calorie Restriction Prevents Age-Related Memory Loss

The effects of a calorie-restricted diet on aged rats were analyzed by a study by the Institute of Neurosciences of the UAB (INc-UAB). The results of the study published in the journal Nutrients show that there is a cognitive improvement from calorie restriction.

Advances in the scientific, technological, and health sectors have led to an increase in life expectancy in our society and consequently, to a greater incidence of neurodegenerative diseases associated with age ().

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‘The benefits of a hypocaloric diet reducing brain changes related to age-associated memory loss, could be a dementia preventive measure.’

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This improvement in life expectancy therefore also requires research into strategies that can delay brain aging. In this regard, it has been described that some of the brain alterations observed during aging, which may depend on both genetic and environmental factors.

Do Low-Calorie Diets Improve Memory in Old Age?

Calorie-restricted diets have been shown to extend life expectancy and improve cognitive status, both in humans and in animal models, but many of the cellular processes associated with these benefits are still unknown ().

In this study, researchers confirm the ability to memorize and learn in rats on calorie-restricted diets compared to rats fed a constant supply of food, and analyzed the effects on the hippocampus.

The results show that the group that followed a hypocaloric diet had better results in the spatial object recognition test, a memory test that allows you to evaluate, among others, the functioning of the hippocampus ().

Calorie Restriction can Prevent Age-related Diseases
Restricting calorie intake can slow basal metabolism, thereby slowing down the aging process. Many factors like antioxidant mechanisms and dietary and biological factors have a great impact on metabolism.

In addition, the data obtained suggest that this improvement is linked to a reduction in both age-related neuronal loss and inflammatory activity in this structure.

This article evidences the effects of the hypocaloric diet in the preservation of hippocampal functions and the reduction of neuroinflammation associated with aging and supports interventions at this level to improve the quality of life of elderly people.

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The study also highlights the potential of changes in habits, such as dietary modifications, to promote healthy aging of the brain and prevent age-related cognitive deficits.

References:

Rapid and reversible impairment of episodic memory by a high-fat diet in mice - (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-30265-4)
Low-fat dietary pattern and global cognitive function: Exploratory analyses of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) randomized Dietary Modification trial - (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(19)30245-7/fulltext)
Effects of Caloric Restriction on Spatial Object Recognition Memory, Hippocampal Neuron Loss and Neuroinflammation in Aged Rats - (https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/7/1572)

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Source-Eurekalert