Vitamins may help diabetic memory slumps

TORONTO, June 27 (UPI) -- Adults with type 2 diabetes who eat high-fat meals may experience memory declines immediately, but this can be offset by vitamins, Canadian researchers say.

Senior author Dr. Carol Greenwood of the University of Toronto and Baycrest, an academic health sciences center, cautioned that relying on anti-oxidant vitamins at meal time is not a quick fix.

"While our study looked at the pill form of antioxidants, we would ultimately want individuals to consume healthier foods high in antioxidants, like fruits and vegetables," Greenwood says in a statement.

In the study, 16 adults with type 2 diabetes attended three weekly sessions that involved consuming a different test meal. One meal consisted of high fat products -- a Danish pastry, cheddar cheese and yogurt with added whipped cream; the second meal consisted of water consumption; and the third test meal was the high-fat meal plus 1,000 mg of vitamin C and 800 IU of vitamin E.

Fifteen minutes after starting meal ingestion, participants completed a series of memory tests.

The study, published in the July issue of Nutrition Research, found that the vitamin supplementation consistently improved recall scores.