Memory Loss & Too Much Food

Keeping your memory intact as you get older might mean cutting down on how much you eat.

It sounds strange, but it turns out that eating too much during our senior years might also set us up for memory loss.

As we get older, we all tend to forget a thing or two like where we put our car keys or what we came into a room to do. That's normal. But more intense memory loss could signal dementia which can have big consequences as we get older. So doing what we can to preserve our memory as we age is important. And besides exercising our brain with puzzles or social outings, it looks like watching how much we eat could have an impact on our memory as well.

Researchers have found that those seniors 70 and older who ate between 2,100 and 6,000 calories per day doubled their risk of developing memory problems. While they aren't sure why this happens, the ones presenting this study at the American Academy of Neurology's annual meeting think it might have to do with too much food leading to structural changes in the brain as we get older.

So, keep in mind that in addition to exercising your brain as you get older, controlling your diet might also help keep your memory as strong and sharp as possible.