ReviewFrontiers in psychology2020
Western Diet: Implications for Brain Function and Behavior.
Review in Frontiers in psychology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 70 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
70 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 132 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Impact of Free and Added Sugars on Cognitive Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Nutrients · 2023Pooled it
- Relationship between Prenatal or Postnatal Exposure to Pesticides and Obesity: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Pooled it
- Dysregulated eating behaviour and microbiota-based interventions targeting eating disorders and food addiction.Gut microbes · 2026Review
- Is High Fat and Sugar Intake Associated with Disrupted Attentional-Motivational Coupling for Food? Evidence from an Eye Tracking Study.Brain sciences · 2026Article
- Neural mechanisms linking Western diet consumption and cognitive impairment: a role for the vagus nerve.Clinical science (London, England : 1979) · 2026Review
- Consequences of Western and Mediterranean Diets' Nutrients on the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis.Nutrients · 2026Review
- Sex Differences in Dietary-Induced Liver Steatosis and Insulin Receptor-Related Signaling in Aged Mice Lacking Serotonin Transporter.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Lipid metabolism dysregulation in late-life depression: peripheral metabolic disturbance, central lipid alterations, and dietary modulation.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Review
- Review
- Exercise Training Alters the Hippocampal Expression of Blood-Brain Barrier Components and Behavior of Western Diet-Fed Female Rats.Molecular neurobiology · 2025Article
- The Role of Adipokines and Gene Polymorphisms in the Development of Obesity- Induced Depression.Current obesity reports · 2025Review
- Western Diet and Cognitive Decline: A Hungarian Perspective-Implications for the Design of the Semmelweis Study.Nutrients · 2025Review
- Role of Dietary Carbohydrates in Cognitive Function: A Review.Food science & nutrition · 2025Review
- The Gut-Brain Axis and Mental Health: How Diet Shapes Our Cognitive and Emotional Well-Being.Cureus · 2025Review
- Are Dietary Habits the Missing Link Between Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and Osteoporosis?Nutrients · 2025Review
- A Biochemical View on Intermittent Fasting's Effects on Human Physiology-Not Always a Beneficial Strategy.Biology · 2025Review
- Article
- Soymilk yogurt prepared usingCurrent research in food science · 2025Article
- Human gut microbiome, diet, and mental disorders.International microbiology : the official journal of the Spanish Society for Microbiology · 2025Review
- Article
10 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The Western diet (WD) pattern characterized by high daily intake of saturated fats and refined carbohydrates often leads to obesity and overweight, and it has been linked to cognitive impairment and emotional disorders in both animal models and humans. This dietary pattern alters the composition of gut microbiota, influencing brain function by different mechanisms involving the gut-brain axis. In addition, long-term exposure to highly palatable foods typical of WD could induce addictive-like eating behaviors and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation associated with chronic stress, anxiety, and depression. In turn, chronic stress modulates eating behavior, and it could have detrimental effects on different brain regions such as the hippocampus, hypothalamus, amygdala, and several cortical regions. Moreover, obesity and overweight induce neuroinflammation, causing neuronal dysfunction. In this review, we summarize the current scientific evidence about the mechanisms and factors relating WD consumption with altered brain function and behavior. Possible therapeutic interventions and limitations are also discussed, aiming to tackle and prevent this current pandemic.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.