Skip the Taco Bell run: Five days of eating a junk-food diet can deteriorate your memory, finds new Australian research.
After that amount of time, rats that ate high-fat, high-sugar foods performed worse on special memory tests, and couldn't locate things as well as rodents fed a normal diet. These rats had problems noticing if an object had moved; for you, that’s like when you can’t find your keys.
We know what you’re thinking: another rat study. But the results likely apply to humans as well, says study coauthor Margaret Morris, Ph.D. In fact, a 2011 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed healthy people who ate junk food for 5 days performed worse on cognitive tests measuring attention, speed, and mood.
Researchers aren’t sure what’s causing the memory problems, but they suspect a poor diet may produce inflammation in the brain—specifically the hippocampus, the region that’s associated with memory and special recognition, says study coauthor Margaret Morris, Ph.D. Even worse: Damage to the hippocampus can mess with hunger and fullness cues, leading to weight gain and obesity.
Even though the holidays mean sugar cookies and pigs in a blanket being pushed in your face, this study shows that just a few days of poor eating can be bad for your brain. Balance the no-so-healthy party food with the good stuff: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and lean protein.
.......................
Article source: http://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/your-brain-junk-food
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment