High-Fat Diet Quickly Impairs Memory by Disrupting Brain’s Energy Balance

A study from the UNC School of Medicine, published in Neuron, shows that eating a high-fat diet can harm memory within just a few days by overstimulating specific neurons in the brain’s memory center. Researchers led by Dr. Juan Song and Dr. Taylor Landry found that a short-term high-fat diet, similar to typical junk food, causes CCK interneurons in the hippocampus to become overactive due to reduced glucose uptake. This hyperactivity disrupts memory processing before any weight gain or diabetes develops. The study identified the protein PKM2 as a key factor linking diet, energy use, and neuron function. Restoring glucose levels or applying interventions like intermittent fasting normalized neuron activity and improved memory in mice. The findings reveal how quickly poor diets can affect the brain and suggest early lifestyle or medical interventions could help protect memory and reduce the risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.

07-10-2025