Junk food in youth linked to long-term memory impairment

A recent investigation published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity elucidates the long-term impact of Western diet consumption during early life on memory function.

The study utilized a rodent model to demonstrate that early exposure to a cafeteria-style Western diet can lead to persistent deficits in hippocampus-dependent memory, independent of obesity and metabolic dysfunction.

Researchers found that these memory impairments are associated with disrupted hippocampal acetylcholine signaling, a key neurotransmitter involved in memory processes. The study details how reduced levels of vesicular acetylcholine transporter in the hippocampus of rats fed a Western diet compared to those on a standard diet suggest a chronic reduction in acetylcholine tone, which correlates with the observed memory deficits.  

Read more: Science Direct

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