According to a research conducted by the Oregon State University, the researchers revealed that diet high in fat and sugar causes changes in gut bacteria, which leads to a significant loss of cognitive flexibility.

The researchers carried out a study of mice fed a high-fat or high-sugar diet discovered a correlation between changes in their gut bacteria and their ability to adapt to change, indicating that a typical Western diet might inhibit cognitive flexibility.

Professor Kathy Magnusson said that it was increasingly clear that the gut bacteria or microbiota can communicate with the human brain. She also said that bacteria can release compounds that act as neurotransmitters which stimulate sensory nerves or the immune system and affect a wide range of biological functions.

The researcher added that this work suggests that fat and sugar alters a person’s healthy bacterial systems and that’s one of the reasons why such products should not be consumed.

The research was published in Journal Neuroscience.

By Lizitha