Low Carb Diets and Your Brain

Some interesting research on low carb diets and your brain.

Low carb diets can curb epileptic fits in children.  Seizures dropped by 62% in children who were fed a very low carb diet.

A diet high in calories and protein can help people with traumatic brain injuries by reducing inflammation.

This article discusses who ketogenic (low carb) diets can help reduce mental health disorders like depression and anxiety.

Emily Deans, M.D., a psychiatrist, has a series of articles on diet and autism.  Her blog is on evolutionary psychiatry and she believes that a lot of today's mental illnesses have roots in the modern foods we eat.  She advocates a Paleo style diet.

And finally, in a psychological marketing article appearing in the Journal of Marketing Research, we have this gem.  A "low fat" label on food can make people eat more and feel less guilty--and get obese.

Research Update

In addition to the usual results showing low carb dieters losing more weight, achieving better blood glucose levels, and losing more inches than low fat, high carb dieters, this new study also demonstrated that low carb dieters had better memory performance.  Ketone levels were significantly and positively correlated with memory performance, but low fat, high carb dieters don't achieve ketosis, so they are out of luck.  This is important, because low carb diets are very good for type II diabetics.  Type II diabetics are at a greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, which is sometimes called "type III diabetes."  "Type III" diabetes would certainly affect your memory performance.

Another study showed that in adults afflicted with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (about 1/3 of the adult population in the U.S.) lost significantly more liver fat after two weeks on a low carb diet than on a low fat, high carb diet.  Weight loss after two weeks was about the same on both regimes, but loss of liver fat was the key goal of the study, and the low carb diet proved better.

More interesting food articles from the marketing journal, The Journal of Consumer Research.  I find it fascinating that the academic marketing discipline is so focused on eating.

• Consumers are more likely to order more calories at a restaurant they perceive as "healthy," such as Subway, than at a restaurant they perceive as "unhealthy," such as McDonald's (this link opens a press release in an MS Word document).  There is a "health halo" associated with "healthy" restaurants, such as Subway.  Since consumers tell themselves they are eating healthy, they splurge on unhealthy sides, drinks, and desserts.  When they eat at a restaurant perceived as "unhealthy," they are more aware of what they are eating and actually consume fewer calories than at "healthy" restaurants.  Stupid dieters.
• When consumers face their own mortality, such as immediately after the 9/11 attacks, they eat more, drink more, and want to spend more time with their families (this link opens a press release in an MS Word document).
• The color of orange juice made people think it was sweeter.  Researchers wanted subjects to choose the "sweetest" orange juice (this link opens a press release in an MS Word document).  The subjects perceived no difference when one cup had a lot of sugar added and the other didn't, but they perceived a huge difference in sweetness when the orange juice was brighter, thanks to food dye.  Eyesight trumped the taste buds!