Sugar-sweetened beverages were found to cause tooth decay and affects blood sugar.
However, new study finds that drinking sugar-sweetened beverages during adolescence weakens memory. This was the findings that will be presented this week at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior in Seattle, Washington.
The effect of sugar-sweetened beverages in adolescents study were done both to adult and adolescent rats where they were given sugar-sweetened beverages similar to sugar found in soft drink everyday.
The study that was published in Science Daily reports that adult rats exhibited normal tests in cognitive function.
However, results showed that adolescent rats given with sugar-sweetened beverages were found to have weakened results in learning and memory capability scores.
"It's no secret that refined carbohydrates, particularly when consumed in soft drinks and other beverages, can lead to metabolic disturbances," the study's lead author, Dr. Scott Kanoski from USC stated in a press release.
"However, our findings reveal that consuming sugar-sweetened drinks is also interfering with our brain's ability to function normally and remember critical information about our environment, at least when consumed in excess before adulthood."
Researchers suggest that sugar-sweetened beverages can weaken memory especially if it is taken before adulthood. They stated that sugar-sweetened beverages are not limited to soda alone. These sweetened beverages also include lemonade, apple juice, sports drinks, and anything that contains enough sugar.
Kanoski added that aside from hampering the memory function, sugar-sweetened beverages can also swell up the part of the brain called hippocampus that controls a lot of learning and memory functions. Hippocampus is essential for significant memory function, according to Eurek Alert.
