to eat: you are what you eat! The food you consume impacts your memory

NEW YORK: Even though you may be aware of the statement "you are what you eat," the foods you consume could also impact your memory, suggests a new study.

A team of researchers discovered that cholecystokinin (CCK), a satiety hormone highly expressed in memory formation, could, at higher levels, reduce by 65% ​​the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease , said the study published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging.

CCK is found in both the small intestine and the brain. In the small intestine, CCK allows the absorption of fats and proteins. In the brain, CCK is located in the hippocampus, which is the region of the brain that forms memory, said Auriel Willette, an badistant professor at Iowa State University in the United States.

"The timing and quantity of food we eat can be related to the quality of our memory, and what we eat and what our body does affects our brains.

"We hope this will help shed more light on how the satiety hormones in the blood and brain affect brain function," Willette said.

The researchers hope that this study will encourage others to look into the nutritional aspect of diets, instead of limiting themselves to caloric intake.

Alexandra Plagman, the principal author and graduate student at the university, is currently studying the impact of diet on an individual's CCK levels by conducting research on the fasting glucose and ketone body.

"Looking at the nutritional aspect, we can tell if a certain diet can prevent Alzheimer's disease or prevent the progression of the disease," Plagman said.

Using data from the Neuroimaging Initiative for Alzheimer's Disease (ADNI), the team examined CCK in 287 people.