Overview

• A University of Sydney study published in the International Journal of Obesity shows that diets high in saturated fat and refined sugar impair memory formation and spatial navigation in young adults.
• The study involved 55 university students navigating a virtual reality maze, with those consuming more fat and sugar performing worse, even after accounting for BMI and working memory.
• Researchers identified the hippocampus, a brain region critical for memory and navigation, as the likely target of these dietary effects, which align with prior rodent studies.
• The cognitive impairments were shown to develop before any significant weight gain, highlighting that the effects are independent of obesity.
• Experts emphasize that these impairments are reversible through dietary improvements, underscoring the importance of nutrition for brain health in early adulthood.