Here's a reference to a study which claims that going cooked- zero-carb(or even cooked-low-carb) wrecks your memory. Can't say that I've ever suffered from memory-loss after going raw zero-carb and low-carb doesn't harm me either, but I was wondering what others have experienced re this(perhaps this only affects cooked-low-carbers:-
"Atkins-style low carb diets 'can cause memory loss'
Atkins-style low carbohydrate diets made popular by a string of celebrity devotees can cause memory loss, a new study suggests.
By Kate Devlin, Medical Correspondent
Last Updated: 1:58PM GMT 12 Dec 2008
Slimmers struggle with memory problems after just one week on the restrictive eating plans, researchers found.
The diets, endorsed by the likes of Hollywood actress Renée Zellweger, encourage dieters to cut out carbohydrates like pasta, bread, potatoes and even some fruit and vegetables.
They have proved controversial in recent years amid claims that they can cause heart problems and other dangerous side effects.
The new research suggests that the diet can also harm the memory.
Scientists think that the findings, published in the journal Appetite, could be because of the way in which the brain uses glucose, a type of sugar obtained from carbohydrates in food, as a form of fuel.
Glucose cannot be stored, so our minds need a constant supply of the sugar to power our brain cells.
Professor Holly Taylor, from Tufts University, in Massachusetts, who led the study, said that when carbohydrates were re-introduced to the women's diets their mental function appeared to return to normal.
She added: "This study demonstrates that the food you eat can have an immediate impact on cognitive behaviour. The popular low-carb, no-carb diets have the strongest potential for negative impact on thinking and cognition."
The study monitored 19 women aged between 22 and 55, who started to follow either a low carbohydrate diet or one based on a more traditional low fat approach.
After just one week on the low carbohydrate eating plan the women started to suffer from memory problems, the results of the study showed.
There was a gradual decline in their ability to perform memory-related tasks compared to women who were on the low fat diet, the study found, and their reaction times also became slower.
However, those eating a low carbohydrate diet did perform better on short-term attention tests than those on the more conventional eating plan.
Professor Taylor said: "Although the study had a modest sample size, the results showed a clear difference in cognitive performance as a function of diet.
"The data suggests that after a week of severe carbohydrate restriction, memory performance, particularly on difficult tasks, is impaired.
"It suggests that diets can affect more than just weight."
She warned that the effects of the diet could involve more than just memory.
"The brain needs glucose for energy and diets low in carbohydrates can be detrimental to learning, memory and thinking," she said.
At the height of its popularity an estimated three million people in Britain were thought to be on the Atkins diet.
Other celebrity followers included Geri Halliwell, the former Spice Girl and Jennifer Aniston, the former Friends actress.
It recommended eating large amounts of protein while almost eliminating carbohydrates entirely, including fruit.
