High fat, high sugar diet may leave lasting changes on brain, eating later in life

• There are several things that a person does within the first years of life that can have a lasting impact on their brain health as they age, including eating a healthy diet.
• A new study suggests that consuming unhealthy foods during childhood can affect how the brain regulates eating in the long term.
• Researchers found that interventions targeting the gut microbiome might reverse these negative effects in a mouse model.

Previous research shows there are several things that a person does within the first years of life that can have a lasting impact on their brain health as they age, such as cognitive engagement, avoiding head injuries, developing healthy sleeping habits, being physically active, and eating a healthy diet.

Now, a new study published in the journal Nature Communications adds to what we know about the link between early healthy eating and lifelong brain health, suggesting that consuming unhealthy foods during childhood can affect how the brain regulates eating in the long term.

However, researchers found that interventions targeting the gut microbiome might be able to reverse these negative effects, via a mouse model.