Study Shows How a High-Fructose Diet Sabotages Learning, Memory

Attention kids, binging on soda and sweets for as little as six weeks may make you stupid, according to a new UCLA study on sugar, learning and memory.

A new UCLA rat study funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke is the first to show how a diet steadily high in fructose slows the brain, hampering memory and learning — and how omega-3 fatty acids can counteract the disruption. The study was published in peer-reviewed Journal of Physiology in its May 15, 2012 edition.

Even before obesity occurs, eating fatty and sugary foods causes chemical changes in the brain, meaning that going on a diet might feel similar to going through drug withdrawal, according to a study published The International Journal of Obesity.

People looking to increase their amount and quality of their sleep may find the answer on their grocers shelf: tart cherry juice, according to a new study in the European Journal of Nutrition. ¹