Could Your Eating Habits Be Affecting Your Brain?

We're not going to tell you junk food is bad for your body (you alreadyknow that).

We're not even going to tell you junk food is bad for your brain (youprobably figured as much).

But what you might not know ishow junk food is bad for your brain. Turns out, there's actually quitea lot going on in that head of yours when you fuel your noggin with fatty,sugary foods.

For one thing,a new study suggests that a diet high in fat and sugar (for even a relatively shortlength of time) changes the chemical activity in the brain. After justsix weeks of being fed a diet high in fat and sugar, mice showed chemicalchanges in the brain associated with depression. The mice also showedsigns of anxiety, and higher levels of stress hormones, as well as higherlevels of a molecule associated with patterns of reward and withdrawal.

Last year, another study linked eating foods high in trans fats withreduced brain performance and decreased brain volume!

According to the Grocery Manufacturers Association, companies that manufacturefood are already working to reduce the amounts of trans fats in food products.McDonalds, for example, stopped using trans fats to fry French fries anumber of years ago.

Still, trans fats are so bad for your body and brain that theFDA is taking preliminary steps to further restrict or ban the sale of food containing trans fats.

In the meantime, what can you do? Do we even need to say it? Stop eatingso much junk food. Eat fresh fruits, vegetables and healthy grains instead.You've heard it before. But if you want to enjoy a healthy body andgood brain performance as you continue to grow or age, it's adviceworth listening to.