Just in case you didn’t get the message that processed foods are bad for you, new research has discovered they also cause memory loss.
Eating fast food for even a month starts to trigger inflammation in area of the brain that controls memories.
Fast foods such as potato chips, frozen pasta and pizzas and deli meats that include preservatives can lead to memory loss, say researchers at Ohio State University. If you must eat fast foods, at least take omega-3 fatty acids as the supplements seem to offset some of the worst effects of the diet.
The impact of the food seems to increase as we get older, the researchers said, as the effects haven’t been seen in the young.
It’s especially worrying that the diet started neuro-inflammation so quickly, the researchers said.
Brain degeneration can also be a precursor to diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia, the researchers warn. As we get older, it becomes important we top up with omega-3 fatty acids, either from supplements or by eating more oily fish such as salmon.
(Source: Brain, Behavior and Immunity, 2021; 98: 198)
