Frequent drinking of sodas impairs memory, according to a study conducted on rats.
- Sugary and carbonated cola drinks cause an increase in the ROS marker (Reactive Oxygen Species) in the hippocampus.
- Sodas cause a change in the activity of oxidative enzymes.
“The consumption of carbonated and sugary drinks has increased considerably in recent decades, mainly those containing cola. Their excessive consumption is associated with several diseases and cognitive decline, in particular memory impairment”, said Brazilian and Polish scientists.
Rats followed for 67 days
In the context of work published in the journal Experimental Gerontology, they evaluated the effect of soda consumption on behavioral alterations and oxidative stress (namely an attack on cells by free radicals). The authors conducted the research with male rats aged 2, 8 and 14 months. They divided them into different groups. For 67 days, the team gave just one group soda. The other rodents only drank water. Ten days before the end of the trial, the researchers carried out behavioral and capacity tests.
“On day 68, the rats were killed, their frontal cortex and hippocampus were dissected for analysis. (…) Radial arm maze and Y-maze were used to assess spatial memory, free field to assess habituation memory and inhibitory avoidance to assess aversive memory”, can we read in the searches.
Memory problems at different ages
According to the results, the consumption of sodas caused the appearance of memory impairments in the radial arm maze, the Y-maze and the free field in rats of 2 and 8 months, but not in those aged 14 months. According to scientists, work shows that long-term consumption of sugary and carbonated drinks impairs memory and causes oxidative stress.
“Younger children seem to be more susceptible to behavioral alterations induced by carbonated and sugary drinks. However, sodas caused alterations in the oxidative system at all ages assessed,” concluded the team, which plans to conduct a study in humans.
