The human mind is a terrible thing to waste. Many people go to great lengths to keep it healthy and functioning with memory being the top priority. There are a lot of foods to help improve memory and to keep your overall brain in good health. However, there are other foods that are just plain bad for your memory and one food product stands out more than the rest as the worst food to improve your memory. According to a scientific study, sugar is the worst food you can eat when it comes to preserving your memory.

Certain studies were conducted, resulting in an interesting discovery. In short, sugar has the ability to “rewire” the brain. This sounds like a pretty dramatic prospect, but it’s true in some cases and if certain habits are unresolved. Naturally, the brain relies on a concept called “neuroplasticity”. This term describes how a brain typically learns from everyday habits, which is why in some cases it’s so hard to kill a “bad habit”. The brain remodels and rewires itself whenever you start and continue a new habit.

Sugar consumption is no exception. Actually, if anything, sugar consumption is more at risk for rewiring your brain due to the intense “reward” it gives your brain every time you consume it. Think about it, what are you going to make a habit more of: eating broccoli or chocolate?

In the same way, sugar rewires your brain and messes with your memory skills. Enough sugar consumption leads to negative effects of the hippocampus-the part of your brain where all the memories are stored. When sugar affects the hippocampus, it reduces newborn neurons and it causes inflammation. The former results in memory loss because neurons are responsible for encoding new memories. In short, if you want to preserve your memory, reduce your sugar intake.