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Asked by tyrrellt to Kathryn, Catriona on 11 Apr 2015.
Question: Have you looked at the effect of diet on memory?
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Catriona Morrison answered on 11 Apr 2015:
I haven’t, but others have. We can look at this in several ways: first, maternal diet and an infant’s cognition. Maternal diet is very important in a child’s mental “strength” a diet rich in Omega 3 is said to benefit the child in memory and cognition more generally.
Second, in childhood, a typical healthy diet will help children’s concentration and memory skills. It’s pretty obvious that sugary/fatty foods are going to make kids sluggish.
Third, in older adulthood there are several suggestions for warding off Alzheimer’s Disease, including drinking coffee, eating chocolate, and having a healthy heart.
The role of alcohol in good health and memory is hotly debated. Of course, a bottle of wine will dint the memory and make everything fuzzy, but scientists hotly debate whether a glass or two once or twice a week actually enhances cognition and health.
Comments
brettscience commented on :
It is interesting about the maternal diet and Omega 3. I know that students used to be told that they should have omega 3 everyday to help them with their memory, e.g. during revision, however I thought that had been discredited- is that right?
ellieerussell commented on :
I thought it was better eaten in the foods rather than capsules… But maybe that would be more an indication of how good the rest of your diet was. I am wary about the vitamin and mineral manufacturers in general though ☺
Catriona commented on :
Not as far as I kn0w. And in any case, could it do any harm to be consuming Omega 3s? I doubt it. But if it has been disproved I’m happy to consider the evidence.
Lia - WellcomeTrust commented on :
I know this is a topic which attracts a lot of interest from teachers. There have been a range of interesting studies in this area with mixed results… There is an interesting section in Paul Howard-Jones book ‘Introducing Neuroeducational Research’ about Omega-3. We will see if we can get someone to give a quick summary of the research that has taken place and the results.. watch this space.
Lia - WellcomeTrust commented on :
See the answers to this question – https://learning.imascientist.org.uk/2015/04/14/i-read-that-fish-oils-are-supposed-to-help-with-brain-function-please-could-you-explain-how-this-works/