Does junk food make you dumb?

You may have heard how junk food can make you fat, but did you know if can make you stupid? Believe it or not, science says eating junk food can make you dumb.

What’s junk food anyway? Usually found in the form of packaged snacks with little preparation needed, these are foods which have high levels of calories from fat or sugar with low nutritional value.

The consumption of such food items has been been linked as a contributing factor to a number of chronic health conditions such as mood disorders, hypertension, diabetes, and yes, ruining your brain.

How is that so?

A recent study conducted by researchers at Oregon State University and published in Neuroscience shows lab mice were given diets with various levels of fat and sugar. For at least a month, these rats were made to go through a series of simple puzzles and mazes to observe the changes in their physical and mental functions, paying close attention to the “gut bacteria” aka gut flora in each group.

The result: After four weeks, the rats who had been consuming high sugar and high fat had mental decline as compared to the mice who were given healthy food. They were slower, making it difficult for them to complete the tests.

According to Kathy Magnusson, OSU College of Veterinary Medicine professor and principal investigator with the Linus Pauling Institute,

“Bacteria can release compounds that act as neurotransmitters, stimulate sensory nerves or the immune system, and affect a wide range of biological functions… This work suggests that fat and sugar are altering your healthy bacterial systems, and that’s one of the reasons those foods aren’t good for you.”

Foods containing high levels of sugar and fat mess with your body’s good bacteria, thus negatively affecting your cognitive flexibility, i.e. the ability to adapt to changing environments.

For those who do not know, gut bacteria is not only useful in digesting food but it also plays an important role in brain function.

So put down those chips and start chowing on snacks which are high in probiotics. Let’s also feed our mind with good nutrition.

Featured image via angrytrainerfitness.com