Abstract
The impairment of cognitive function can cause substantial emotional and financial
burdens. A recent global increasing trend in cognitive impairment and associated disorders
has been observed, which will continue to grow as the population ages rapidly. As
a nonpharmaceutical approach, calorie restriction (CR) has received extensive research
interests due to its health benefits, including maintaining cognitive function. In
this narrative review, we first briefly introduce the role of cognitive function in
activities of daily living and CR as a part of healthy lifestyle behaviors to protect
against cognitive decline. Second, we present results from human studies demonstrating
that CR might be beneficial for improving age-related cognitive decline and cognitive
impairment in the clinical population such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. Third,
the potential mechanisms regarding the protective effects of CR on cognition are discussed.
Fourth, specific suggestions are highlighted to be considered in future human studies.
Overall, although there are few data available from human studies, CR appears to be
beneficial for cognitive protection for both healthy and clinical populations. Further
scientific investigations are needed before a firm conclusion can be made.
Keywords
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Published online: July 18, 2020
Footnotes
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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