Photo credit: www.sciencedaily.com
Study Links Diet to Cognitive Function in Young Adults
Recent findings from the University of Sydney have established a connection between diets high in fats and sugars and reduced brain functionality. This research adds to a growing compendium of studies highlighting the detrimental effects of high-fat, high-sugar (HFHS) diets on cognitive performance, building on our existing understanding of their physical health impacts.
Published on Friday in the International Journal of Obesity, this study is groundbreaking as it examines the way HFHS diets, particularly those rich in refined sugars and saturated fats, affect first-person spatial navigation in humans. This skill, essential for determining and remembering pathways, is an indicator of hippocampal health, a crucial brain region involved in memory and navigation.
Dr. Dominic Tran, leading the research from the Faculty of Science’s School of Psychology, emphasized that HFHS diets negatively influence certain cognitive functions, particularly those relying on the hippocampus for navigation and memory formation, rather than affecting cognitive processes throughout the entire brain.
“The encouraging news is that we believe these effects can be reversed,” Dr. Tran stated. “Modifying one’s diet can enhance hippocampal health, which in turn may improve our navigational abilities, whether in new cities or familiar routes.”
The research involved 55 university students aged 18 to 38, who provided information about their consumption of sugary and fatty foods through questionnaires. Their cognitive performance was evaluated through a number recall memory test, and their body mass index (BMI) was measured.
Participants were tasked with navigating a virtual reality maze to locate a treasure chest in six separate trials. The maze included various landmarks to aid in navigation, with both the starting point and treasure location remaining unchanged across trials.
If a participant successfully located the treasure within a four-minute timeframe, they moved on to the next trial. If not, they were transported to the treasure’s location and given 10 seconds to memorize it before proceeding.
A final seventh trial challenged participants to locate the treasure’s previous spot based solely on their memory, without any visual cues. Insights from the results indicated that those with lower fat and sugar intakes were significantly more accurate in identifying the treasure’s location compared to those who consumed these foods frequently.
“Controlling for working memory and BMI separately, we found that sugar and fat intake effectively predicted performance outcomes in that final memory test,” Dr. Tran explained.
The findings underscore the necessity of making informed dietary choices to support cognitive health. “It’s already established that excessive consumption of refined sugars and saturated fats raises the risk of obesity, metabolic issues, cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers. Moreover, these dietary habits accelerate cognitive decline associated with aging in middle-aged and older individuals,” Dr. Tran noted.
“This study provides concrete evidence that dietary habits are vital for maintaining brain health during early adulthood, a time when cognitive abilities generally remain robust,” Dr. Tran added.
While Dr. Tran acknowledged that the study’s sample may not accurately represent the general population, he believes the implications of these findings extend widely. “Our participants were likely healthier than the broader community, suggesting that if our sample had included a more diverse population, the impact of diet on spatial navigation could appear even more significant,” he remarked.
Dr. Tran is a distinguished recipient of an Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Research Award (DECRA).
Source
www.sciencedaily.com