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A study publicized in February by the journal Nature found that indulging in chocolates, potato chips, and other “junk” foods — more commonly known as “snack” food in the U.S. — can “lead to lingering changes in brain activity.”
Participants in the study were predominantly healthy young men, who didn’t gain any weight nor alter their physical composition as a result of their snack-time activities. But in this healthy population, the effect of the so-called “junk” foods was clear. And for an American population, the results could be significant.
The study members were initially excited to have the excuse to eat unhealthy foods, many of which are part of the normal American diet. By day 4, the men were starting to see the diet as more of a “slog,” the lead researcher told the outlet. Those in the control group ate their normal healthy diet.
Memory, Brain Fog
By the end of the five days of eating junk food, the participant’s brain activity was similar to that of people who suffer from obesity or insulin resistance. This can lead to diabetes. Even seven days after the study ended, the participants still had lower activity in the two regions of the brain associated with memory as visual response. “I think it’s quite similar to what we experience at the holidays”, the study author told the journal. “We’re all constantly confronted with all kinds of very processed foods.” (BIG POLL: Do You Approve of Using a Surrogate to Have a Child?)
With so many of these foods being part of the normal snack or meal for American consumers, could it be that we’re accidentally poisoning ourselves with brain fog?
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