Carb-rich diet may affect brain health: Study

Even small increases in blood sugar caused by a diet high in carbohydrates can be detrimental to brain health, shows new research.

"Carbohydrate calories, which elevate blood glucose, are dramatically more detrimental to human physiology, and specifically to human health, than are calories derived from healthful sources of fat," claimed David Perlmutter, a neurologist and fellow of the American College of Nutrition.

"We live with this notion that a calorie is a calorie, but at least in terms of brain health, and I believe for the rest of the body as well, there are very big differences between our sources of calories in terms of the impact on our health," he explained.

Perlmutter would explore further how brain health and cognitive function are linked to nutrition, said his article published on the Alternative and Complementary Therapies website.

Recent reports in medical literature link carbohydrate calorie-rich diets to a greater risk for brain shrinkage, dementia and Alzheimer's disease, impaired cognition and other disorders.