Researchers are claiming that playing puzzle games is an effective tool to burn energy because the brain becomes challenged in these instances.

Scientists have revealed that undertaking a Sudoku or crosswords puzzle for an hour, or any other brain-training exercise, may see calories being burned. They said that one hour of puzzle playing burns a much energy as what is contained in a biscuit.

The study also claims that the equivalent of a packet of Hula Hoops or a bag of Maltesers is burned by two hours of brain activity.

A mental agility expert, Tim Forrester, employed by the brain training website, Cannyminds.com has made the findings.

Mr Forrester said that the human brain consumes 0.1 calories per minute only to survive. He said that when a person is undertaking a cerebrally challenging task, that requirement jumps to 1.5 calories per minute.

Millions of neurons make up the brain and these communicate amongst each other and also send signals to and from tissues in the body.

Neurotransmitters, which are the chemicals produced by neurons, relay data and these chemicals require glucose to work as well as calories and oxygen to function properly.

Therefore, the more brain usage, the more calories will disappear.

A cannyminds.com spokesman said calories are burned by anything which is brain challenging, adding that even intensive reading or studying a complex poem will do the job.

Meanwhile, researchers recently claimed they’ve developed a new weight loss medication.

The scientists working at Garvin Institute in Sydney, Australia, said that the drug has been used on mice and has been proven an effective option for modifying the signals sent to the brain which control the type of fuel needed by the body to burn energy.

 It will take at least three years before the drug is available.

A group of scientists and the BBC are partnering to create what will be the biggest scientific research study of whether games, such as the Nintendo DS, or playing Sodoku, may boost one’s memory and brain power.

The Nintendo brain training games, has proven to be a real success with more than 100 million sales around the world and millions exercise  their brain every day with puzzles and crosswords.

But researchers up to now insist that brain training has a any effect.

The BBC audience will be joined by the Dragons Den and Today presenter Evan Davis, for this mass experiment.

The test results will be regarded as useful for the Alzheimer’s Society plus other charities with a keen interest in the inner mechanics of the brain.

Dr Adrian Owen, from the Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge and Professor Clive Ballard, from Kings College, London and director of research of the Alzheimer’s Society have designed this experiment.

Volunteers will be grouped in three sections, with some playing games designed to improve memory, concentration and logical thinking, while others will test speed of reaction, visuo-spatial awareness and planning.

The scientists insist that since all participants will perform an initial “benchmarking” test at the beginning of the experiment, they can measure the improvement due to brain training alone.

Brain Test Britain was launched on September 7 on Bang Goes The Theory, BBC One, 7.30pm and is scheduled to run for the next 9 months with initial results coming out in about one year.