title: A role for dietary saccharide intake in cognitive performance.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The current study investigated the relationship between dietary intake of saccharides and cognitive performance.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study used a cross-sectional correlational design in which the relationship between saccharide intake and cognitive performance was investigated among younger and middle-aged adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two young adults (18-30 years) and 42 middle-aged adults (45-62 years) completed a food diary on three non-consecutive days during 1 week in order to estimate dietary saccharide intake. In addition, participants completed a battery of cognitive measures that included measures assessing memory (verbal and visuo-spatial recall and recognition, working memory), speed of processing, attention and general cognitive ability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results indicated that saccharide intake was related to performance only in verbal memory recall, and only for the middle-aged adults. Importantly, saccharide intake remained a significant predictor of verbal memory performance after controlling for education and health factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption and exercise.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia talitha.best@flinders.edu.au
authors.forename: Talitha
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Best
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kemps
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bryan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D015930:Diet Records; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013028:Space Perception; D013060:Speech; D014796:Visual Perception
chemical_list: D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates