While many of my posts focus on the effects of dietary choices on the body, it is important to note that a diet high in saturated fat and refined sugar (HFS) has serious repercussions on brain structure and function as well.
Research has shown that as little as TWO MONTHS on a HFS diet was sufficient to reduce levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and spatial learning performance. Simply put, diet high in saturated fat and refined sugar have a profound effect on the brain’s ability to learn and form memories.
Imagine the disservice that such poor nutritional choices are doing to the developing minds of young children, let alone adults, whereby the very structure of the brain is being altered and its function impaired to the point of significant interference with learning and various forms of memory.
So, next time you child asks for a box of Frosted Flakes for breakfast, try a serve of scrambled pastured-organic eggs … their future selves will thank you for it!
Reference:
Molteni, R., Barnard, R.K., Ying, Z., Roberts, C.K., &Gomez-Pinilla, F. (2002). A high-fat, refined sugar diet reduces hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor, neuronal plasticity, and learning, Neuroscience, 112(4), 703-814.
No comments:
Post a Comment