Soda to help your memory?

by Nick Vagnoni, Posted Jan 16th 2006 @ 12:04PM

I recently read an article about researchers in Glasgow examining how sugary sodas may help increase brain function and boost memory. Researchers gave test subjects sugary beverages and examined how well they performed memory based exercises such as remembering lists of words and letters. Those that drank the equivalent of two cans of cola did about 20 percent better than the non-soda drinkers. To my layman's understanding, this is because our brains need glucose (sugar) to function properly, whether it comes straight from a soda or gets processed from carbohydrates. Researchers hope to combat dementia from Alzheimer's with glucose supplements and also help younger bodies learn to use glucose more efficiently. I've always been told that using a burst of glucose from a soda or candy bar was a short term solution, however. Some people experience a "crash" afterwards and excessive soda drinkers often run the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The Franklin Institute Online has a detailed yet accessible section about this sort of brain chemistry. I suggest reading through that in addition to the Glasgow article.

Filed Under: Science, Newspapers
Tags: brain function, glasgow, glucose, memory, northern europe, soda, sugar