Cutting out the carbs may help you lose weight-but it can also help you lose your memory.
Dieters who avoided starchy foods do worse in mental tests than those who allowed themselves pasta, bread and potatoes.
Scientists found that the mental performance dropped after just a week on an Atkins-style diet. The study demonstrates that the food you eat can have an immediate impact on cognitive behavior.
The popular low-carb and and non-carb diets have the strongest potential for negative impact on thinking and cognition.
The Atkin’s diet, popular in the early 2000s, bans carbohydrates such as flour, sugar and potatoes, but allows protein and fat. Some fruit and vegetables are also restricted.
Scientists believe that lo-carb diets reduce the amount of glucose, or blood sugar, which is carried to the brain and used by nerve cells for energy.
A low-carb diet means less fuel to power brain cells.