The Western diet is rich in saturated fats and refined carbohydrates. It has been long-established that excessive intake of such a diet increases body weight and the risk of developing metabolic conditions, cardiovascular disorders, and some kinds of cancer. Evidence, however, has also started to link the diet with cognitive impairment.
In the current study, researchers assessed the relationship between diet and spatial navigation in people using a virtual reality maze. To do so, they recruited 55 university students with an average age of 20. The students completed questionnaires on their intake of sugary and fatty foods and underwent working memory tests.
They then partook in an experiment requiring navigation of a virtual reality maze to locate a treasure chest. Landmarks were placed around the maze to help participants remember their route. In a seventh trial, the researchers removed the treasure chest from the maze and asked participants to find and mark its prior location from memory.
"After controlling for working memory and BMI, measured separately to the experiment, participants' sugar and fat intake was a reliable predictor of performance in that final, seventh, test," said lead author Dr Dominic Tran from the School of Psychology at the University of Syndey, Australia, in a press release.
Tran added that the research provides evidence that diet is important for brain health in early adulthood, a time when cognitive function is typically intact.
“It's likely our participants were a little healthier than the general population and we think, if our sample better represented the public, the impact of diet on spatial navigation would likely be even more pronounced,” he noted.
The researchers concluded that the findings are consistent with results from animal studies, and confirm the importance of eating well for cognitive health.
