Your stomach may be telling you to dive in and drink your way out of that jumbo cherry Icee, but your brain has a different idea.

Emerging research has found that diets high in sugar can impair cognitive functioning, even in the absence of extreme weight gain or excessive energy intake.

A study found that consuming high levels of sugar-sweetened beverages impaired neurocognitive functions like decision making and memory.

Meanwhile, a more recent study found that healthy volunteers in their 20s scored worse on memory tests and had poorer appetite control after just 7 days of eating a diet high in saturated fat and added sugars.

While more studies are necessary to establish a clearer link between sugar and cognition, it’s worth noting that your diet can affect your brain health.

Is it time to ditch sugar?

It’s no secret that sugar can cause issues if you’re indulging in a little too much of the sweet stuff. Still, most Americans are eating too much sugar.

The harmful effects it can have on your physical health are well studied, which is why we talk so much about reducing sugar intake to lower the risk of these effects, like chronic disease.

While ditching the sweet stuff can result in a physically healthier you, it’s the effect sugar has on our mental health that’s worth taking a second look