I'm Shelby Cullinan with toddy's health news.
If you want to keep your brain functioning well, you may want to skip the doughnuts.
A new study from Oregon State University found that high-fat and high-sugar diets may cause
a loss of cognitive flexibility because the two diets affect bacteria in the gut, called
the microbiome.
In the study, mice were fed either a high-sugar or a high-fat diet for four weeks.
After the four weeks the mental performance of the mice dropped.
The high-sugar diet had the most serious effects.
The mice on this diet had changes in both cognitive flexibility, long-term and short-term
memory.
The lead study author said that "It’s increasingly clear that our gut bacteria can communicate
with the human brain."
Bacteria can release compounds that act as neurotransmitters, stimulate sensory nerves
or the immune system, and affect a wide range of biological functions."
Speak to your doctor about starting a healthy diet plan today.