On 11 February, on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the Department of Basic Sciences organised an online webinar on ‘Feeding the Brain to Improve Memory’. Given by Dr Ruth Fadó, a lecturer from the bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Science, and Núria Amiel, holder of a diploma in Human Nutrition and Dietetics, the webinar was attended by more than twenty people.

This virtual talk demonstrated the impact various types of diets have on overall health, as well as on learning and memory processes. “During development in the womb, when we are young and also when we are old we are more susceptible to the negative impact certain diets have on memory,” Fadó said, “for example, diets high in saturated fatty acids and sugars cause a delay in neurodevelopment.”

The talk also emphasised how this impact affects each gender. “What is known is that older women have a higher risk of cognitive deficits,” Fadó explained, “However, oestrogens can be protective until menopause, since men can suffer from these deficits at any age.”

View the full video of the session