Author: Deborah Huso
Publication name: Aol Health
Date of publication: November 29, 2010
Summary: Can that cup of coffee increase your attention span and memory? Yes, according to researchers at the University of Barcelona who recently conducted a study to confirm “if caffeine and glucose can have beneficial effects on cognitive performance.” Participants in this study were all similar: healthy, right handed and low caffeine consuming subjects. The test: each of these participants received one of the following beverages: (1) plain water, (2) water plus 75 grams of glucose or natural sugar (sugar produced from plants, not in labs), (3) water plus 75 milligrams of caffeine, and (4) water plus both 75 milligrams of caffeine and sugar. How they tested the claim: two MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging) once before and thirty minutes after consuming the beverage. In addition to the MRIs, a continuous performance test was used to evaluate the attention span of each participant. The results: a combination of glucose and caffeine could increase a person’s attention span. Dr. Richard Lipton, professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine said, “Imagine a circuit with a light bulb, a battery and a switch. In a sense, caffeine acts as a molecular switch and glucose acts as the battery. If you throw the switch without the battery, the light will not go on.”
LINKS TO STUDY: N/A
SUBMITTED BY: Lovedeep Uppal
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