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Thisisyourbrainonsugar:Studyshowshighfructosedietsabotageslearning,memoryScienceDaily

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Thisisyourbrainonsugar:Studyshowshighfructosediet
sabotageslearning,memory
Date:
Source:
Summary:

May15,2012
UniversityofCalifornia,LosAngeles
Anewratstudyisthefirsttoshowhowadietsteadilyhighinfructoseslowsthebrain,hampering
memoryandlearningandhowomega3fattyacidscancounteractthedisruption.

FULLSTORY

Newresearchshowshowadietsteadilyhighinfructoseslows
thebrain,hamperingmemoryandlearningandhowomega
3fattyacidscancounteractthedisruption.
Credit:RTimages/Fotolia

AnewUCLAratstudyisthefirsttoshowhowadietsteadilyhighinfructoseslowsthe
brain,hamperingmemoryandlearningandhowomega3fattyacidscancounteract
thedisruption.ThepeerreviewedJournalofPhysiologypublishesthefindingsinitsMay
15edition.
"Ourfindingsillustratethatwhatyoueataffectshowyouthink,"saidFernandoGomezPinilla,aprofessorof
neurosurgeryattheDavidGeffenSchoolofMedicineatUCLAandaprofessorofintegrativebiologyand
physiologyintheUCLACollegeofLettersandScience."Eatingahighfructosedietoverthelongtermalters
yourbrain'sabilitytolearnandrememberinformation.Butaddingomega3fattyacidstoyourmealscanhelp
minimizethedamage."
Whileearlierresearchhasrevealedhowfructoseharmsthebodythroughitsroleindiabetes,obesityandfatty
liver,thisstudyisthefirsttouncoverhowthesweetenerinfluencesthebrain.
SourcesoffructoseintheWesterndietincludecanesugar(sucrose)andhighfructosecornsyrup,an
inexpensiveliquidsweetener.Thesyrupiswidelyaddedtoprocessedfoods,includingsoftdrinks,condiments,
applesauceandbabyfood.TheaverageAmericanconsumesroughly47poundsofcanesugarand35pounds
ofhighfructosecornsyrupperyear,accordingtotheU.S.DepartmentofAgriculture.

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Thisisyourbrainonsugar:Studyshowshighfructosedietsabotageslearning,memoryScienceDaily

"We'relessconcernedaboutnaturallyoccurringfructoseinfruits,whichalsocontainimportantantioxidants,"
explainedGomezPinilla,whoisalsoamemberofUCLA'sBrainResearchInstituteandBrainInjuryResearch
Center."We'remoreconcernedaboutthefructoseinhighfructosecornsyrup,whichisaddedtomanufactured
foodproductsasasweetenerandpreservative."
GomezPinillaandstudycoauthorRahulAgrawal,aUCLAvisitingpostdoctoralfellowfromIndia,studiedtwo
groupsofratsthateachconsumedafructosesolutionasdrinkingwaterforsixweeks.Thesecondgroupalso
receivedomega3fattyacidsintheformofflaxseedoilanddocosahexaenoicacid(DHA),whichprotects
againstdamagetothesynapsesthechemicalconnectionsbetweenbraincellsthatenablememoryand
learning.
"DHAisessentialforsynapticfunctionbraincells'abilitytotransmitsignalstooneanother,"GomezPinilla
said."Thisisthemechanismthatmakeslearningandmemorypossible.Ourbodiescan'tproduceenoughDHA,
soitmustbesupplementedthroughourdiet."
Theanimalswerefedstandardratchowandtrainedonamazetwicedailyforfivedaysbeforestartingthe
experimentaldiet.TheUCLAteamtestedhowwelltheratswereabletonavigatethemaze,whichcontained
numerousholesbutonlyoneexit.Thescientistsplacedvisuallandmarksinthemazetohelptheratslearnand
remembertheway.
Sixweekslater,theresearcherstestedtherats'abilitytorecalltherouteandescapethemaze.Whattheysaw
surprisedthem.
"Thesecondgroupofratsnavigatedthemazemuchfasterthantheratsthatdidnotreceiveomega3fatty
acids,"GomezPinillasaid."TheDHAdeprivedanimalswereslower,andtheirbrainsshowedadeclinein
synapticactivity.Theirbraincellshadtroublesignalingeachother,disruptingtherats'abilitytothinkclearlyand
recalltheroutethey'dlearnedsixweeksearlier."
TheDHAdeprivedratsalsodevelopedsignsofresistancetoinsulin,ahormonethatcontrolsbloodsugarand
regulatessynapticfunctioninthebrain.Acloserlookattherats'braintissuesuggestedthatinsulinhadlost
muchofitspowertoinfluencethebraincells.
"Becauseinsulincanpenetratethebloodbrainbarrier,thehormonemaysignalneuronstotriggerreactions
thatdisruptlearningandcausememoryloss,"GomezPinillasaid.
HesuspectsthatfructoseistheculpritbehindtheDHAdeficientrats'braindysfunction.Eatingtoomuch
fructosecouldblockinsulin'sabilitytoregulatehowcellsuseandstoresugarfortheenergyrequiredfor
processingthoughtsandemotions.
"Insulinisimportantinthebodyforcontrollingbloodsugar,butitmayplayadifferentroleinthebrain,where
insulinappearstodisturbmemoryandlearning,"hesaid."Ourstudyshowsthatahighfructosedietharmsthe
brainaswellasthebody.Thisissomethingnew."
GomezPinilla,anativeofChileandanexerciseenthusiastwhopracticeswhathepreaches,advisespeopleto
keepfructoseintaketoaminimumandswapsugarydessertsforfreshberriesandGreekyogurt,whichhe
keepswithinarm'sreachinasmallrefrigeratorinhisoffice.Anoccasionalbarofdarkchocolatethathasn't
beenprocessedwithalotofextrasweetenerisfinetoo,hesaid.
Stillplanningtothrowcautiontothewindandindulgeinahotfudgesundae?Thenalsoeatfoodsrichin
omega3fattyacids,likesalmon,walnutsandflaxseeds,ortakeadailyDHAcapsule.GomezPinilla
recommendsonegramofDHAperday.

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Thisisyourbrainonsugar:Studyshowshighfructosedietsabotageslearning,memoryScienceDaily

"OurfindingssuggestthatconsumingDHAregularlyprotectsthebrainagainstfructose'sharmfuleffects,"said
GomezPinilla."It'slikesavingmoneyinthebank.Youwanttobuildareserveforyourbraintotapwhenit
requiresextrafueltofightofffuturediseases."
TheUCLAstudywasfundedbytheNationalInstituteofNeurologicalDisordersandStroke.GomezPinilla'slab
willnextexaminetheroleofdietinrecoveryfrombraintrauma.
Editor'snote:TheCornRefinersAssociationhasissuedthefollowingpressreleaseinresponsetothisstudy:
http://sweetsurprise.com/press/responseuclaratstudy

StorySource:
TheabovepostisreprintedfrommaterialsprovidedbyUniversityofCalifornia,LosAngeles.Theoriginal
itemwaswrittenbyElaineSchmidt.Note:Contentmaybeeditedforstyleandlength.

JournalReference:
1. R.Agrawal,F.GomezPinilla.'Metabolicsyndrome'inthebrain:deficiencyinomega3fattyacid
exacerbatesdysfunctionsininsulinreceptorsignallingandcognition.TheJournalofPhysiology,
2012590(10):2485DOI:10.1113/jphysiol.2012.230078

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UniversityofCalifornia,LosAngeles."Thisisyourbrainonsugar:Studyshowshighfructosedietsabotages
learning,memory."ScienceDaily.ScienceDaily,15May2012.
<www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120515150938.htm>.

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