Calorie Intake Effect on Cognitive Abilities

You are studying for a math test you have the next morning when you suddenly feel the urge to munch on something. You grab some chips and continue with your studies. Hours pass by and you still have not memorized anything. Is it because you just are not capable of learning or could it be because of those chips? Being aware of how different calorie counts affect one’s cognitive skills should become a norm throughout society. In today’s world, people have little to no regard for their diets.

Over one-third of America’s population is considered overweight. This leads to many issues regarding health, such as heart disease (which is the leading cause of death on a global scale). Furthermore, out of all the first-world countries, the United States ranks among the lowest in terms of education. In fact, among the 35 members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which sponsors the PISA initiative, the United States ranked 30th.

Because of this, one can conclude that there may be a correlation between what one intake and their intellectual ability.

To begin with, if a correlation between cognitive skills and calorie intake proves to exist on a short-term basis, one could quickly improve their short-term efficiency. For example, by eating healthier, a student may be able to better comprehend a given subject or memorize criteria with greater efficiency. A study performed by researchers at the University of Münster, Germany showed that older adults who reduced calories for three months fared better in memory tests.

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In addition, one’s decision-making skills might improve. By being able to think clearer and retain memory much more efficiently, it may be assumed that one will be able to make better decisions in any given situation.

Furthermore, there may also be a correlation between the two on a long-term scale. Besides the already proven long-term effects of calorie intake on the body, such as obesity and weight loss, many studies conducted throughout the years have shown that calorie intake holds an impact on one’s long-lasting brain functions. Some of these impacts may include greater mental longevity. Links have been found between caloric restriction and cognitive capabilities including anti-inflammatory mechanisms, reduction of neural oxidative stress, promotion of synaptic plasticity, induction of various stress, and neurotrophic/neuroprotective factors. In addition, a lower calorie intake may prevent one from coming across mental disorders. For example, numerous studies conducted on mice have led scientists to the conclusion that reducing calories also promotes neurogenesis and slows certain Alzheimer’s symptoms. In addition, in Okinawa, an island in Japan where people frequently eat fish and exercise, the lifespan is one of the world’s longest, and the population has a very low rate of mental disorders. This community’s great health standards may be traced to their extremely healthy diets.

In conclusion, there may be a strong possibility that the food one consumes does truly affect their cognitive skills, from short-term effects, such as memorization or clearer decision-making, to long-term effects relating to one’s health and longevity. Because there is no clear understanding or stone-cold evidence backing up this claim, the experiment to be conducted may provide crucial information that serves as a foundation for the claim. It may lend a helping hand in opening the eyes of many to the grand picture of healthy eating and its benefits besides physical appearance. This experiment will consist of providing a pool of test subjects (humans) with three snacks drastically ranging in calorie count as they complete different academic exams. The conclusion will rely on whether a correlation can be seen between test scores and which snack was consumed.