A low-carb diet may be an inspired choice when it comes to losing weight, but it could also contribute to memory loss.

A new study, led by Prof. Holly Taylor of Tufts University in Massachusetts, has found that following a diet low in carbohydrates may affect your cognitive skills. The researchers studied 19 women ages 22 to 55, nine of whom chose a low-carb diet, and 10 a low-calorie macronutrient balanced diet recommended by the American Dietetic Assn. The participants were given tests which measured long- and short- term memory skills, visual attention and special memory. They were tested after a week to see how the diet influenced their cognitive abilities.

The participants in the low-carb diet scored lower in terms of memory loss and overall brain power than those in the balanced low-calorie diet. When carbohydrates were reintroduced in the women’s diet, their mental function returned to normal, psychology professor Holly Taylor, of Tufts University, Massachusetts said. The human body needs carbohydrates to perform at its best. When you eat carbohydrate, the body changes much of it into glucose, the chief source of energy for the body. Glucose that is not needed immediately is stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles for later use. “This study demonstrates that the food you eat can have an immediate impact on cognitive behaviour. The popular low-carb, no-carb diets have the strongest potential for negative impact on thinking and cognition,” the researchers concluded.

The study will appear in the February 2009 edition of the journal Appetite.