Low-fat diet plan

A recent study seems to indicate that a low-fat diet is more beneficial for mental health than a low carbohydrate diet plan with the same number of calories. This finding is important for those who are concerned about memory loss and other brain health matters, especially senior citizens.

The November 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine reported on a study involving 106 overweight and obese participants.  They averaged 50 years of age.  Fifty-five of them were randomly assigned to follow a very low carbohydrate, high-fat diet.  Fifty-one followed a high carbohydrate, low-fat diet for one year.  Changes in weight, food, well-being, thinking, learning and memory skills were assessed during and after the one-year study.

The average weight loss was 30.2 pounds, with no difference between the two groups.  At first, both groups experienced an improvement in mood.  However, the improved mood persisted only for those on the low-fat diet.  Those two followed the low carbohydrate diet soon lost the improvement in mood that they had gained at first.

That study produced no evidence that the nutritional content of either diet made a difference in cognitive function. Both groups experienced similar changes in thinking and memory performance during the study.  However, mood is an important factor in all of our lives. This may be especially true for senior citizens. This study suggests that the mental health effects of low-fat diets may favor them over low-carbohydrate plans.

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