Ammon News - Ahmad Alhyari- Consuming fatty foods in the days leading up to surgery may trigger an increased inflammatory response in the brain, potentially disrupting memory-related cognitive functions for weeks in older adults, and new animal research suggests this could also affect young adults.

The study, conducted by researchers at The Ohio State University, found that taking a DHA omega-3 fatty acid supplement for a month prior to consuming an unhealthy diet and undergoing surgery prevented memory impairment caused by both the high-fat diet and the surgery in both young and aged rats.

Just three days on a high-fat diet impaired a specific type of fear-related memory in older rats for up to two weeks, mirroring the memory deficits observed in younger rats subjected to both a fatty diet and surgery. The researchers identified the brain inflammation causing these effects as being linked to a protein that triggers the immune response.