A study conducted on aging rats shows that just 4 weeks on a diet of ultra-processed foods led to a strong inflammatory response in their brains.
- Rats fed a diet of ultra-processed foods quickly showed brain inflammation and memory loss.
- Inflammation can be reduced and memory restored by omega-3 DHA supplementation.
- However, this supplementation is not a free pass for consuming processed foods, which cause weight gain and are a factor in metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes.
Eating burgers, chips, sweets, deli meats and ready meals isn’t just bad for your cardiovascular and metabolic health. It can also cause brain damage.
This is shown by a new study conducted by researchers at Ohio State University (USA). In a study published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunitythey show that just four weeks of a diet based on highly processed foods caused a strong inflammatory reaction in the brains of aging rats, and that this inflammation was accompanied by memory loss.
The good news is that by supplementing the processed diet with the omega-3 fatty acid DHA, however, it was possible to prevent memory problems and reduce inflammatory effects almost entirely in the rats. Naturally present in oily fish and seafood, DHA plays a role in preventing an inflammatory response. This is the first study on its ability to work against brain inflammation caused by a processed diet.
Strong inflammation of the brain
To obtain these results, the researchers randomly assigned 3- and 24-month-old male rats to three groups: the first ate a normal diet, the second a highly processed diet, and a third the same processed diet supplemented with DHA.
The results showed that in rats given the processed diet alone, the activation of genes linked to a potent pro-inflammatory protein and other markers of inflammation was significantly higher. Aged rats given the processed diet also showed signs of memory loss in behavioral experiments.
“The fact that we’re seeing these effects so quickly is a bit alarming, says Ruth Barrientos, lead author of the study. These results indicate that consuming a processed diet can lead to large and abrupt memory deficits.” However, as she reminds us, in seniors, a rapid decline in memory is more likely to develop into neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.
“In humans, the amygdala has been implicated in memories associated with emotional events, generating fear and anxiety. If this region of the brain is dysfunctional, cues that warn of danger can be missed and lead to bad decisions”continues the researcher.
An unhealthy diet, even with supplementation
The results obtained, however, show that in rats fed the ultra-processed diet, DHA supplementation was effective in preventing the elevated inflammatory response in the brain as well as behavioral signs of memory loss.
This does not mean that the ultra-processed diet was without effects on the health of the rats: the latter gained a lot of weight. The researchers therefore caution against interpreting the results as a license for consumers to feast on processed foods provided they take a DHA supplement. To prevent the multiple negative effects of highly refined foods, it is best to focus on improving the overall diet.
“These are the types of diets that are advertised as low fat, but they are highly processed. They have no fiber and contain refined carbohydrates which are also known as low quality carbohydrates, insists Ruth Barrientos. People who are used to looking at nutritional information should pay attention to fiber and the quality of carbohydrates. This study really shows that these elements are imporso much.”
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