A new systematic review and meta-analysis of 27 preclinical studies suggests that even after adopting healthier eating habits, memory damage caused by high-sugar diets may only be partially reversible. Researchers from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) found that while reducing sugar intake improved memory in rodents, it did not restore it to levels seen in animals consistently fed healthy diets.
Lead author Simone Rehn, a biopsychologist at UTS, stated that memory improvements were incomplete even after weeks on a healthy diet. The analysis focused on the hippocampus, a brain region critical for memory and learning, which is particularly sensitive to diet and environmental factors. High-sugar and high-fat-sugar diets showed little evidence of recovery, highlighting sugar as a key factor in limiting memory restoration.
The study's findings underscore the importance of avoiding prolonged exposure to unhealthy diets, rather than assuming the effects can always be fully undone later. Senior author Mike Kendig emphasized that protecting brain health may depend on prevention more than reversal.