A Low-Carb Diet Can Hurt Your Memory By Margaret Furtado, M.S., R.D. - Posted Wed, May 20, 2009, 5:13 pm PDT

1. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Thu, May 21, 2009, 6:04 am PDT

Hey Lady, you are an idiot. I have been on a low carb diet going on 4 years and my memory has never been better. I am so sick and tired of the same low fat = good, low carb = bad BS that you so called nutritionists have been pushing down our throats for the past 30+ years.19 subjects? Oh yeah that's a real solid study!

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2. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Thu, May 21, 2009, 4:56 pm PDT

Notoriously difficult? That's a pretty broad generalization, and an odd argument against them. Quitting smoking is notoriously difficult too... The weight comes back if you go off the diet? Well, yeah. If carbs cause you to gain weight, eating them again will cause you to gain weight. A study of three weeks? If you know anything at all about low carb diets, then you know that the first few weeks are often difficult, particularly if one is used to much higher levels of carbs. Anyway, it's a common misconception that the brain can only run on carbohydrates/glucose. Actually the brain (and the heart) run efficiently (some even say MORE efficiently) on ketones. If you're interested at all, Google Gary Taubes, or ketogenic diet. Or both, for extra points. Personally, I've been low carbing (very, very low carbing) for about 4 years and my head is very clear. Not only that, but my low-level depression lifted entirely, and hasn't come back since. One of the things I notice if I do eat carbs is "brain fog" - can't think as clearly or concentrate as well, and I will get moody. While we're at it: I'm not bloated anymore; my carpal tunnel went away completely; my gums don't bleed anymore when I brush my teeth; I rarely lose any hair in the shower; my skin cleared up, and I rarely get a blemish; I tan better in the sun, and don't burn like I used to; I sleep through the night; I have more energy; my hair and nails grow quickly, and are very strong; I have no digestive issues at all...not even the odd bout of gas; no cravings; I finally feel sated after a meal, and my appetite is no longer raging out of control. Oh, and I lost 30 pounds. I could go on, and on, and on...but I suspect you aren't interested.

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3. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Sat, May 23, 2009, 10:03 am PDT

Please...I have lost 20# on a low carb diet. It's not all that difficult and you get results! Not too bad either if you are older and insulin resistant, which I am. And as a genealogist, my brain is constantly working out puzzles, relationships etc etc. Quite frankly, my dear, your silly study is junk science, me thinks.

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4. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Sat, May 23, 2009, 10:09 am PDT

all well and good, but carbs are a diabetics worst enemy so now what, according to this article either way we lose. What is the real best answer

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5. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Sat, May 23, 2009, 10:09 am PDT

Has this data been published? What/where is the reference?

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6. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Sat, May 23, 2009, 10:10 am PDT

all well and good, but carbs are a diabetics worst enemy so now what, according to this article either way we lose. What is the real best answer

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7. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Sat, May 23, 2009, 10:19 am PDT

Idiotic......anyone who has done low carb knows that it takes more than 1 week to adapt and reap the numerous benefits of this way of eating.

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8. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Sat, May 23, 2009, 10:35 am PDT

Hi! Do you think that people/children with high IQs need more than 125 grams of carbohydrates in their diets? Thanks. Holly

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9. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Sat, May 23, 2009, 10:40 am PDT

I lost A LOT of weight on a very low carb diet (fruits and veggies were my only carb supply). I had tons of energy but, found myself craving carbs like mad a year later. I put back on all the weight and then some. Now, I balance the fruits and veggies with whole grains such as cornmeal, wheat, and oats and feel 1000X better than I ever did on the low-carb diet. Moderation is the key to everything in addition to watching your fat content (amount and types of fats- for instance I don't eat butter). Good article!

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10. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Sat, May 23, 2009, 10:42 am PDT

My wife and I chose a low carb diet and it has worked well for me for over a year. I appreciated that you emphasized that carbs from snack foods are the real culprit with weight, not carbs in general. We have been absolutely appalled as we started being diligent about reading labels when we shop about what garbage goes in to the foods that our manufacturers put on the market. By buying and eating more fruit, finding recipes that incorporate more natural and wholesome ingredients, and eating smaller portions more frequently, I have controlled my weight and improved my health dramatically. I have always had issues with low blood sugar so I am very conscious of eating healthy snacks (cheese, fruit, granola) that keep me level in my moods and productivity. This whole American diet issue demands that people pay attention to what is in the foods they buy. The producers don't and they don't care how damaging their products are as long as people get hooked on them and buy them. Diet is a personal responsibility-I just wish that I had realized all of this decades ago. My kids and my wife and I would be much healthier today and have better food habits.

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11. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Sat, May 23, 2009, 10:44 am PDT

My wife and I chose a low carb diet and it has worked well for me for over a year. I appreciated that you emphasized that carbs from snack foods are the real culprit with weight, not carbs in general. We have been absolutely appalled as we started being diligent about reading labels when we shop about what garbage goes in to the foods that our manufacturers put on the market. By buying and eating more fruit, finding recipes that incorporate more natural and wholesome ingredients, and eating smaller portions more frequently, I have controlled my weight and improved my health dramatically. I have always had issues with low blood sugar so I am very conscious of eating healthy snacks (cheese, fruit, granola) that keep me level in my moods and productivity. This whole American diet issue demands that people pay attention to what is in the foods they buy. The producers don't and they don't care how damaging their products are as long as people get hooked on them and buy them. Diet is a personal responsibility-I just wish that I had realized all of this decades ago. My kids and my wife and I would be much healthier today and have better food habits.

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12. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Sat, May 23, 2009, 10:46 am PDT

So THAT'S what's been wrong with me! Margaret, I am a 48 year-old grad student in Texas. I still work out (power walking, light weights in the gym), and keep very few carbs in my kitchen besides wheat bread and an occasional box of Jambalaya mix. Recently, while studying for finals, I found myself craving chips and cookies. As far as the forgetfulness is concerned, I'd chalked that up to old age...but you've given me hope and a reason to smile. Maybe I'm NOT so old after all! So...carbs it is! Thank you, Margaret!

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13. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Sat, May 23, 2009, 10:55 am PDT

this article encapsulates the typically antiquated mainstream nutritionist viewpoint. i suggest these types read the medical literature - in which there is considerable evidence - that the body creates glucose for the brian via gluconeogenesis as well as ketone bodies that produce more stable emotional balance and cognitive balance. i have nearly finished my phd on a related subject all the while on a low carb diet - so my memory is obviously not adversely affected! further, i maintain intense weight-lifting three times a week with great performance in that regard as well. my personal training clients have experience similar successes. this article is full of scare tactics that any reasonable mind can see right through.

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14. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Sat, May 23, 2009, 11:16 am PDT

Please cite your sources. I tire of hearing about "studies" that I have no way of evaluating because they're never cited. The idea that people have a harder time sticking to lowcarb as opposed to other diets is ludicrous. The difference is they usually know right away when they’ve blown it since the type of food is the issue more than the caloric tally. The overall failure rate is about the same….studies prove it! (see how annoying that is?)

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15. Posted by A Yahoo! Health User on Sat, May 23, 2009, 11:22 am PDT

The problem with this study is that it only lasted three weeks. The first few weeks on a restricted carb diet is a time of transition as your body alters its energy burning chemistry. I would be interested to see this test repeated with subjects that have been on a restricted carb diet for a longer period of time.

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