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The big question about calorie restriction in humans is what effects it may have on mental functioning. I don't know about you, but I have trouble concentratin

The big question about calorie restriction in humans is what effects it may have on mental functioning. I don't know about you, but I have trouble concentrating when I am hungry; and there is the further risk of poor mental development with calorie restriction in children.

TrevorJ 17y ago
That is the position I take as well. I for one, cannot function well mentally without a decent calorie intake throughout the day.
- logicalmind 17y ago
  An interesting question would be whether stimulants, like caffeine, can be used to increase brain function without calories. I wouldn't suspect this to be a healthy option though...
  - TrevorJ 17y ago
    Personal experience indicates that they can. In fact, I find that is one of the main problems I have with stimulants - they tend to suppress my appetite, but since I am still able to function well on them I don't notice how hungry I am until they wear off and I crash becasue I haven't eaten in 3 hours.
    - jamesbritt 17y ago
      Don't you notice the depletion of neurotransmitters? It's been a awhile since I played with nootropics, but my understanding of how many cognitive enhancers work is that they stimulate the production of underlying neurotransmitters (norepinephrine, for example). If you are not providing the body with sufficient raw material (feeding your head, as it were), these transmitters get depleted and no amount of stimulants will help.
billswift 17y ago
Also this is not new (well the drug possibly imitating the effects of calorie restriction is), I read Waldrop's life extension book which concentrated on calorie restriction back in the early 1990s. The concerns about mental functioning were brought up soon after by several critics of the book. I didn't bother looking up the title, etc because I seriously don't recommend it, it was a waste of time, very shallow.

TrevorJ 17y ago

That is the position I take as well. I for one, cannot function well mentally without a decent calorie intake throughout the day.

logicalmind 17y ago
An interesting question would be whether stimulants, like caffeine, can be used to increase brain function without calories. I wouldn't suspect this to be a healthy option though...
- TrevorJ 17y ago
  Personal experience indicates that they can. In fact, I find that is one of the main problems I have with stimulants - they tend to suppress my appetite, but since I am still able to function well on them I don't notice how hungry I am until they wear off and I crash becasue I haven't eaten in 3 hours.
  - jamesbritt 17y ago
    Don't you notice the depletion of neurotransmitters? It's been a awhile since I played with nootropics, but my understanding of how many cognitive enhancers work is that they stimulate the production of underlying neurotransmitters (norepinephrine, for example). If you are not providing the body with sufficient raw material (feeding your head, as it were), these transmitters get depleted and no amount of stimulants will help.

billswift 17y ago

Also this is not new (well the drug possibly imitating the effects of calorie restriction is), I read Waldrop's life extension book which concentrated on calorie restriction back in the early 1990s. The concerns about mental functioning were brought up soon after by several critics of the book. I didn't bother looking up the title, etc because I seriously don't recommend it, it was a waste of time, very shallow.