The very idea of chips, pizzas, pastries etc make us slurp. But the health issues associated to these processed foods often make us take a back step. By now, we all know high intake of ultra-processed foods lead to several lifestyle-related problems including weight gain, diabetes, blood pressure and more. But did you know, it may affect your memory too? Yes, you heard us. A new study has found that diet enriched with highly processed food can be linked to signs of memory loss. The study was conducted on ageing rats and the findings were published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.

Researchers found “four weeks on a diet of highly processed food leads to a strong inflammatory response in the brains of ageing rats that was accompanied by behavioural signs of memory loss,” reads an ANI report. That’s not all. It was also found that replacing processed foods with omega-3 fatty acid DHA reduced the inflammatory effects in older rats. However, no such cognitive issues were found in young rats that were given processed food-enriched diet.

“The fact we’re seeing these effects so quickly is a little bit alarming,” said senior study author Ruth Barrientos, an investigator in The Ohio State University Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research and associate professor of psychiatry and behavioural health. He further stated that the findings also indicated that processed diet can lead to abrupt memory deficit and rapid memory decline in older people, further leading to disease like Alzheimer’s.

“By being aware of this, maybe we can limit processed foods in our diets and increase consumption of foods that are rich in the omega-3 fatty acid DHA to either prevent or slow that progression,” Ruth Barrientos added.

Here’re 5 Other Side-Effects Of Highly Processed Diet:

1. It leads to weight gain and obesity.
2. High intake of junk food might elevate blood pressure levels.
3. Processed foods often promote diabetes.
4. It might increase the level of bad cholesterol in your body.
5. Several studies have also found its negative effects on our mood – it may often lead to depression.

This is why experts suggest that a healthy and balanced diet is a must to keep up a good health. But always remember consult an expert before adapting to any kind of lifestyle-related changes.