Sugar Might Make You Stupider

With obesity and diabetes on the rise, it's no wonder that so much attention is paid to our diets, especially those high in fat and sugar. New research supports this level of scrutiny. The study found that rats whose diets were higher in high-fructose corn syrup were essentially "stupider" than their counterparts whose diets were higher in omega-3 fatty acids.

After dissecting the rats' brains, the researchers found that the synapses in the rats with a high-fructose diet could not form new connections as easily - a major factor in learning and adapting. The high-fructose diet rats also had issues with insulin, a sugar-regulating protein in the hippocampus. The hippocampus is responsible for the formation of memories in both humans and rats.

"I was very shocked to see how strong an effect these diets could have on the brain-I have high concern that the foods people eat can really affect mood and cognition," said neuroscientist Fernando Gomez-Pinilla to National Geographic.

The researchers first trained a group of rats to successfully navigate a maze. After a few days, half the rats were switched to a high-fructose diet and the other half was given more omega-3 fatty acids. The high-fructose rats began to run the maze slower after six weeks, while the omega-3 rats actually ran it in slightly faster times.

High-fructose corn syrup is a cheap alternative to table sugar, and has become increasingly prevalent in our diets. Everything from sodas to condiments uses it. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average person in the United States consumes around 60 pounds per year.

"I'm not saying that fructose is bad-you don't want to single out one nutrient," Gomez-Pinilla said. "The big issue is excessive consumption."

The researchers hope to use these findings to see how to reverse the effects of a poor diet. For instance, is there a way to reverse a childhood of poor eating? Or are there crucial stages in development where sugars and omega-3 fatty acids play a larger role?