Late-night snacks could damage the hippocampus area of brain: Study

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Wednesday 23 Dec 2015 - 16:46 Makkah mean time-12-3-1437 Image from dietsinreview Los Angeles, (IINA) - Scientists from University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) tested a theory on a group of mice and found those who were fed during their normal sleeping time were less able to recall receiving a mild shock, Mail Online health news reported. Their long-term memory was also affected, the researchers found. The study noted that late-night snacks could damage the hippocampus area of brain. It was already known that eating when we normally sleep can impact health by raising blood sugar levels, which can lead to diabetes and heart problems. Therefore, the researchers, from the university, set out to see if it also affects mental function.  Mice are nocturnal so would normally eat at night. Some were allowed to do so, while the other group were fed in the daytime. They were all put in a new context and then given a mild shock. When put back in that place the next day, those who had eaten at night as normal showed a ‘fear response’ indicating they remembered the shock while the mice who had eaten in the day were less likely to react. Writing in the journal e-Life, the researchers say this maybe because the mice who ate when they usually sleep had reduced levels of a protein called CREB, which is key for the body’s internal clock and the brain’s ability to form memories. Lead author Dawn Loh said: ‘We have provided the first evidence that taking regular meals at the wrong time of day has far-reaching effects for learning and memory. ‘Since many people find themselves working or playing during times when they’d normally be asleep, it is important to know that this could dull some of the functions of the brain’. The scientists stress that their findings have not been confirmed in humans, but say they could be important for those who stay up late, including shift workers. Professor Christopher Colwell from UCLA said: ‘Modern schedules can lead us to eat around the clock so it is important to understand how the timing of food can impact cogitation. ‘For the first time, we have shown that simply adjusting the time when food is made available alters the molecular clock in the hippocampus and can alter the cognitive performance of mice.’ SM/IINA