US scientists warn, Sugar can make you dumb
Eating
too much sugar can eat away at your brainpower, according to US
scientists who published a study Tuesday showing how a steady diet of
high-fructose corn syrup sapped lab rats' memories.
Researchers at the University of
California Los Angeles (UCLA) fed two groups of rats a solution
containing high-fructose corn syrup -- a common ingredient in processed
foods -- as drinking water for six weeks.
One group of rats was
supplemented with brain-boosting omega-3 fatty acids in the form of
flaxseed oil and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), while the other group was
not.
Before the sugar drinks began,
the rats were enrolled in a five-day training session in a complicated
maze. After six weeks on the sweet solution, the rats were then placed
back in the maze to see how they fared.
"The DHA-deprived animals were
slower, and their brains showed a decline in synaptic activity," said
Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, a professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen
School of Medicine at UCLA.
"Their brain cells had trouble
signaling each other, disrupting the rats' ability to think clearly and
recall the route they'd learned six weeks earlier."
A closer look at the rat brains
revealed that those who were not fed DHA supplements had also developed
signs of resistance to insulin, a hormone that controls blood sugar and
regulates brain function.
"Because insulin can penetrate the blood-brain barrier, the hormone
may signal neurons to trigger reactions that disrupt learning and cause
memory loss," Gomez-Pinilla said.
In other words, eating too much
fructose could interfere with insulin's ability to regulate how cells
use and store sugar, which is necessary for processing thoughts and
emotions.
"Insulin is important in the body for controlling blood sugar, but it
may play a different role in the brain, where insulin appears to
disturb memory and learning," Gomez-Pinilla said."Our study shows that a high-fructose diet harms the brain as well as the body. This is something new."
High-fructose corn syrup is commonly found in soda, condiments, applesauce, baby food and other processed snacks.
The average American consumes
more than 40 pounds (18 kilograms) of high-fructose corn syrup per year,
according to the US Department of Agriculture.
While the study did not say what the equivalent might be for a human
to consume as much high-fructose corn syrup as the rats did, researchers
said it provides some evidence that metabolic syndrome can affect the
mind as well as the body.
"Our findings illustrate that what you eat affects how you think," said Gomez-Pinilla.
"Eating a high-fructose diet over the long term alters your brain's
ability to learn and remember information. But adding omega-3 fatty
acids to your meals can help minimize the damage."
The study appeared in the Journal of Physiology.
Comments
Post a Comment