https://futurism.com/neoscope/americanized-diets-linked-neurocognitive-dysfunction-doctors Picky Eaters Apr 6 / by Dan Robitzski Mice Fed Fast Food Get Noticeably Stupider, Scientists Warn Fast food and junk calories cause serious cognitive issues in mice -- and possibly in people as well. Apr 6 / Dan Robitzski [svg] Andrea Leopardi via Unsplash Image by Andrea Leopardi via Unsplash Studies In some unfortunate medical news, it turns out that eating lots of delicious calorie- or sugar-rich snacks and junk foods can likely lead to neurological and cognitive impairments later in life. A massive literature review by University of Southern California, Los Angeles scientists pulled the results from dozens of mouse studies found that a high-calorie, high-fat diet -- dubbed the "Western diet" in research circles -- early on in life was linked to worsened memory, increased anxiety-like behavior, and other cognitive problems. All of these issues seemed to be totally separate from the well-documented impacts that a Western Diet has on weight, metabolism, and overall health, according to the review, which was published earlier this year in the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience, suggesting that diet can have a far bigger impact on neurological health and development than previously thought. Specifically, the review found that mice eating a Western diet during the early stages of life that are important for development worsened anxiety and memory function, regardless of weight gain. It also led to an increase in addiction-like behaviors, as the mice grew to crave the sugary and high-fat foods, alongside a decrease in social behaviors. The idea behind the review is that the Western diet can function as a proxy for an Americanized diet heavy in snacks, sodas, and other unhealthy foods, the UCLA researchers wrote in their paper. Advertisement Advertisement "In addition to being a predictor of obesity and metabolic dysfunction, consumption of a Western diet (WD) is related to poorer cognitive performance across the lifespan," they wrote. "In particular, WD consumption during critical early life stages of development has negative consequences on various cognitive abilities later in adulthood." Of course, the best way to test the impacts diet has on cognition would be to study people themselves, but nutrition research is notoriously difficult. People aren't great at remembering what they had to eat, and controlling for the endless list of variables that stem from everyone's different lifestyles is a herculean task. So in lieu of thorough human research, the mouse studies can serve as a reasonable -- if not perfect -- indicator of possible risks to our health that are worth keeping in mind. As a Futurism reader, we invite you join the Singularity Global Community, our parent company's forum to discuss futuristic science & technology with like-minded people from all over the world. It's free to join, sign up now! Advertisement Advertisement Share This Article related More on diet: Scientists Link Eating This Common Baseball Stadium Food With Dementia Risk Image by Andrea Leopardi via Unsplash Advertisement Advertisement Read This Next 4.18.21 Bring The Infrared Sauna With You With The MiHIGH Sauna Blanket 4.17.21 Get A Year Of Playstation Plus And A Lifetime Of VPN Protection For Just $50 4.16.21 Rx/Medicines Pfizer CEO Says You'll "Likely" Need a Third Dose of COVID Vaccine 4.16.21 Play Real-World Chess Against Players Across The Globe With Square Off 4.15.21 This Coffee Concentrate Lets You Transform Any Liquid Into a Delicious Caffeinated Beverage Advertisement Advertisement The Latest 4.15.21 Organic Chemistry Weed Absolutely Wrecks Your Vision, According to New Research Maybe go with delivery instead of takeout. By Dan Robitzski / Read More >> 4.15.21 Genetics Vladimir Putin Is Reportedly Terrified of Gene-Hacking Experiments The Russian leader fears the idea of far-fetched "gene weapons." By Dan Robitzski / Read More >> 4.14.21 Developments Harvard/MIT Researcher: COVID Definitely Could Have Leaked From a Lab "I think it's essential that we have a real investigation... into whether this virus could have come from a lab or from the wildlife trade." By Dan Robitzski / Read More >> Keep up. Subscribe to our daily newsletter to keep in touch with the subjects shaping our future. [ ]I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its User Agreement and Privacy Policy Subscribe Advertisement Advertisement +Social+Newsletter TopicsAbout UsContact Us Copyright (c), Singularity Education Group All Rights Reserved. See our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with prior written permission of Futurism. Fonts by Typekit and Monotype.