Overeating puts people at risk of memory loss, research claims

Overeating puts people at risk of memory loss, research claims

People who overeat could be putting themselves at risk of memory loss, according to a recent study.

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that consuming between  2,100 and 6,000 calories per day doubles a person's chance of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among people of 70-years-of-age and older.

MCI is known to lead to dementia in many cases and is thought to be triggered by a range of factors, including high blood pressure and diabetes.

Dr Yonas E Geda, author of the study, commented: "We observed a dose-response pattern which simply means; the higher the amount of calories consumed each day, the higher the risk of MCI."

The observation was made when following 1,233 people between the age of 70 and 89 who were free from dementia.

Participants reported their calorie intake and were divided into three groups - those who consumed between 600 and 1,526 calories per day, those who had 1,526 and 2,143 and those who ingested 2,143 and 6,000.

It was found that the odds of having MCI more than doubled for those in the highest calorie-consuming group, even after adjusting for history of stroke, diabetes, amount of education, and other factors.

There was no significant difference in risk for the middle group, however.

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