Everyone is familiar with the situation: teenagers often choose pizza, burgers, french fries or sweet sodas instead of a balanced domestic food. However, scientists are increasingly warning - regular use of fast food at a young age can cause a brain to be damaged, which cannot be corrected even over the years.
According to new studies in the field of neuronchool and nutrition, two key areas of the brain were the most vulnerable to the effects of unhealthy foods: the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus. The first is responsible for decision -making, self -control, logical thinking, and the second - for the formation of memories and the ability to learn.
In adolescence, these zones are still actively formed, so they are especially sensitive to food. Excessive sugar, trans fats and excess sodium contained in fast food cause inflammation and disrupt interneuronal bonds. As a consequence, a decrease in concentration, memory impairment, complexity in the absorption of new information and even increased risk of depression.
Particularly alarming is that even after the transition to a healthy diet in adulthood, the negative effects laid down in the adolescence may not disappear. Scientists explain that some changes in the brain are structural in nature - for example, a decrease in the volume of gray matter in certain areas.
Experts advise parents to be more attentive to the daily diet of adolescents and, if possible, to form healthy eating habits from an early age. The emphasis is on consumption of whole cereals, vegetables, fruits, nuts and low -fat protein - products that support brain development and overall mental health.
Although fast food may seem a fast and delicious option, it has a high price - not only financial but also cognitive.
