New Study Finds High-Fat, High-Sugar Diets Impact Teen Memory, Leading to Long-Term Impairments
Junk Food-filled Diet Negatively Affects Adolescent Memory
LOS ANGELES — Every parent is aware of the detrimental effects drugs and alcohol can have on a child’s developing brain, but new research suggests moms and dads all over may want to start considering candy bars just as bad as beer cans. A study conducted using rodents at the University of Southern California found that rats fed a diet full of fat and sugar during adolescence suffered long-term memory impairment persisting well into adulthood.
Memory Impairments that Last Into Adulthood
All in all, the study authors believe these findings show that a junk food-filled diet may disrupt a teen’s memory ability for a long time, just like rats. Professor Scott Kanoski, from the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, states that rats growing up on a junk food diet experience memory impairments that don’t go away. Even if these rodents are put on a healthy diet, the effects unfortunately persist into adulthood.
Poor Diet and the Link to Alzheimer’s Disease
Prior research has uncovered a connection between poor diet and Alzheimer’s disease, where patients display lower levels of acetylcholine — a neurotransmitter essential for memory and crucial cognitive functions. This raised the question of whether a fatty, sugary Western diet could have similar effects on younger individuals during significant brain development in adolescence.
Studying the Role of Diet in Memory
To examine the effects of a junk food diet on memory, the study tracked the levels of acetylcholine in a group of rats fed a fatty, sugary diet and a control group. Brain responses and memory tests were conducted to investigate the rats’ ability to remember specific tasks and spatial information. Afterward, the rats’ brains were analyzed post-mortem to identify any disruptions in acetylcholine levels.
Memory Testing and Impaired Recall
The memory test involved introducing new objects to rats in different locations and re-presenting the scene with the addition of one new object later. The rats on the junk food diet were found to exhibit difficulty in remembering which objects they had seen and their location, while the control group displayed a greater familiarity with their surroundings.
Brain Changes during Adolescence
Adolescence is recognized as a sensitive period for the brain due to significant developmental changes. Professor Kanoski emphasized the importance of early intervention as certain reversible effects seen in adulthood become less reversible when they occur during childhood.
Potential for Intervention
Despite the concerning findings, there is some hope for correcting memory impairments caused by a junk food diet. The study examined the potential for medication-induced release of acetylcholine as a means of reversing memory damage. With two drugs, PNU-282987 and carbachol, administered directly to the hippocampus, the memory function in rats was restored.
Further Research for Reversing Memory Problems
However, without specific medical intervention, more research is needed to understand how memory issues resulting from a junk food diet during adolescence can be reversed. Professor Kanoski stresses the significance of continued research in this area.
The study was published in Brain Behavior and Immunity and can be accessed here.
