Do carbonated soft drinks boost memory?
We live in a world of fast food and soft drinks ads. There is virtually no escape from them. Now researchers have found a positive twist to their consumption. Soft drinks are actually good for the human memory
By Tudor Raiciu
Latest research has shown that persons who consume more than two cans of soft drinks can boost their memory by a fifth. Although condemned by many as being toxic, it seems that carbonated drinks are extremely efficient memory boosters. According to Glasgow Caledonian University researchers, persons who consume more than two cans of soft drinks, or the equivalent, can boost memory by a fifth. In addition, these drinks seem to be efficient against dementia in older people. Leigh Riby, study author said that there is a clear link between the level of sugar in the organism and the brain's ability to memorise new things and to recall old ones. "I encourage all my students to have an energy drink before lectures, as it helps them learn more," Professor Leigh Riby said. "When young and middle-aged adults are given glucose supplements, their memory activity increases as their brains are flooded with glucose," he added.
The study involved 25 adults with ages between 18 and 52 and showed that persons who had drunk flavoured water containing 25 grams of sugar, approximately the same quantity contained by a can of Coca-Cola, were able to memorise 11 per cent more information than those who hadn't. In addition, the people who had consumed the beverages remembered the information 100 milliseconds faster. This study came shortly after a team of Yale researchers infirmed the theory according to which, carbonated soft drink consumption was linked to the 350 per cent increase of adencarcinoma of the esophagus. "We found that contrary to the hypothesis put forth by other researchers, carbonated soft drink consumption was inversely associated with esophageal adenocarcinoma risk, mainly attributable to diet soda, and that high intake did not increase risk of any esophageal or gastric cancer subtype in men or women," Susan Mayne, study author, said.
However, neither study mention anything about the negative impact of excessive sugar on the teeth, dental doctors recommending that the necessary dosage of sugar is administered at regular intervals.
--www.csmonitor.com
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