It is likely that the effect on academic results of excessive consumption of foods high in saturated fats and simple sugars is mediated by the effect of these macronutrients on brain health and cognitive function. In developmental stages such as adolescence, the brain is particularly vulnerable to the effects of excessive intake of saturated fats and simple carbohydrates . Diet-induced impairment in learning and hippocampus-dependent memory processes have been widely documented . In addition to reducing production of neurotrophins such as BDNF, other WD-induced effects have been reported on this brain structure, including overexpression of proinflammatory cytokines, mitochondrial damage due to oxidative stress, and altered blood–brain barrier permeability . Also, insulin resistance and hyperleptinemia have been linked to impaired hippocampal synaptic plasticity and poor cognitive functioning . Furthermore, evidence suggests that juvenile exposure to a WD may be more harmful than such exposure in adulthood. A 3-week juvenile WD regimen induced similar weight gain and metabolic alterations as did a 12-week adult WD regimen. Juvenile exposure, however, also affected memory consolidation and flexible memory expression while promoting exaggerated pro-inflammatory cytokine expression in the hippocampus after an immune challenge, and it diminished hippocampal neurogenesis .