Here's another reason for women to lose weight. Losing weight could improve memory in older, overweight women, according to a new small study.


In addition, the women's brain activity actually changes in the regions of the brain that are vital for memory tasks after weight loss.


“Our findings suggest that obesity-associated impairments in memory function are reversible, adding incentive for weight loss,” said lead author Andreas Pettersson, M.D., a Ph.D. student at Umea University in Sweden, in a statement.


The results were presented this week at The Endocrine Society’s 95th Annual Meeting in San Francisco.


The findings are important because previous research has shown that obese people have worse episodic memory -- or the ability to recall events that happen throughout one’s life, researchers said.


But the new study suggests that this may be reversible.


The study included 20 overweight, post-menopausal women with an average age of 61, who were randomly assigned to one of two healthy diets for six months. Researchers measured the women's body mass index before and after the diet, and also tested the subjects' episodic memory by having them memorize unknown pairs of faces and names, then recall later on what letter each person's name began with.


Researchers found that memory performance improved after weight loss, and brain scans confirmed that the women had grown more adept at storing and recalling memories.


“The altered brain activity after weight loss suggests that the brain becomes more active while storing new memories and therefore needs fewer brain resources to recollect stored information,” Pettersson said in a statement.


The findings could be of interest to a large segment of the population. Overall, 36.1 percent of women aged 25 and older are obese; this includes 7.4 percent of women who are severely obese, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.


Earlier on HuffPost50:






  • Make Your Meals A Rainbow


    That doesn't mean you should pour out a bag of Skittles at each meal. Try to eat foods of a variety of natural colors to gain antioxidants, said Dr. Amen.




  • Avoid These Fruits


    Just because something is a fruit, doesn't mean you should chow down on it, according to Dr. Daniel Amen, author of "Use Your Brain To Change Your Age." For brain health, Dr. Amen recommends food with a low glycemic index -- which measures how quickly food increases blood sugar -- and a lot of fiber, which benefits your intestinal tract. Certain fruit like pineapple and watermelon have high glycemic indexes and should be avoided, advises Dr. Amen. Instead, incorporate fruits like blueberries, apples, oranges, cherries, kiwi, strawberries and raspberries. When it comes to fiber, consider adding coconut to your diet. <em>Correction: In a previous version of this slide, "blood pressure" was incorrectly inserted where "blood sugar" is.</em>




  • You Need Fat


    Don't eliminate all of the fat in your diet. Instead, focus on incorporating good fats. In fact, if your cholesterol drops too low, you may be at greater risk for depression, according to Amen <a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-breakthrough-depression-solution/201106/low-cholesterol-and-its-psychological-effects" target="_hplink"> and several studies on low cholesterol</a>.

    So what exactly are "good fats"? Dr. Amen advises people to eat foods rich in omega-3s to promote brain health, including almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts, fish, lamb, avocados and green leafy vegetables.

    Another added benefit of eating good fats? "Your vitamins are actually absorbed better when you eat them with a little bit of fat," said Dr. Amen.




  • Choose Your Meat Wisely


    While you generally want to avoid bad fats, if you choose to eat steak, "you want to go with grass-fed, hormone-free, free-range meats" rather than grain-fed meats, said Dr. Amen. "When you feed the animals the high-glycemic foods, they actually produce less of the good fat and more of the bad fat. So they're not as good for you."

    In other words, what your food eats affects your health too, according to Dr. Amen.

    <em>Photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mdid/" target="_hplink">mdid</a></em>




  • Herbs And Spices Don't Just Add Flavor


    Next time you're whipping up some grub, turn to your spice rack for an extra brain boost. Spices and herbs may do more for your health than you realize. According to Dr. Amen, cinnamon balances blood sugar; garlic, oregano and rosemary increase blood flow to the brain; curry acts as an anti-inflammatory; and saffron can have anti-depressant effects.

    <em>Photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/spence_sir/" target="_hplink">S. Diddy</a></em>




  • Pour Out That Juice


    Next time you're craving a cold glass of juice with your breakfast, think again. "Juice is sugar that is unwrapped from its fiber source, and whenever you unwrap sugar from its fiber source, it can turn toxic in your body," said Dr. Amen.

    <em>Photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mamchenkov/" target="_hplink">Leonid Mamchenkov</a></em>




  • What You Eat For Breakfast Matters


    You may be dreaming about that delicious breakfast muffin all night, but you should probably steer clear of the breakfast pastries. "There's way too much bad fat and sugar," said Dr. Amen. Instead, he recommends a protein-heavy breakfast like a few boiled eggs, nuts and an apple. While Dr. Amen suggests eating lean protein at each meal, he believes it is "especially important in the morning because it helps you focus," he said.

    <em>Photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/15216811@N06/" target="_hplink">Nicola since 1972</a></em>




  • Find Supportive Friends


    The last thing you need when you're trying to eat healthy are friends who try to coerce you to be unhealthy. "You have to deal with the food pushers in your life because they'll steal your health," said Dr. Amen. "The health of the people you spend time with will often determine your longevity."

    Make sure your friends understand and support your decision to eat healthier, and try to find other people who who are on the same healthy path as you.




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