Junk Food Can Make the Brain Shrink - New Studies

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The BMC Medicine study, authored by a team of researchers at Deakin University and the Australian National University, compares the brain of people with unhealthy diets and people who usually watch what they eat.

By the looks of it, unhealthy diets correlate with a smaller hippocampus, a part of the brain known to the involved in learning, memory and even mental health.

As part of their study, the research team focused on adults between the ages of 60 and 64. Some were quite fond of salty snacks, processed meats and fizzy drinks, others preferred vegetables, fruits and lean meat such as fish.

Even when the scientists factored in risk factors that could transform the brain's anatomy - i.e. smoking, physical activity and gender, - poor dietary choices still correlated with a smaller hippocampus.

We really should start eating healthier

As noted, the hippocampus plays a crucial role in learning, memory and mental health. With dementia and other similar conditions on the rise on a global scale, perhaps simply educating ourselves to eat healthier might help stave off some mental issues.

?This latest study sheds light on at least one of the pathways by which eating an unhealthy diet may influence the risk for dementia, cognitive decline and mental disorders such as depression and anxiety in older people.?

?It is becoming even clearer that diet is critically important to mental as well as physical health throughout life,? study leader Felice Jacka said in a statement.