We are all aware of the danger of eating too much fatty food. Foods high in saturated fat have been known to contribute to obesity, high cholesterol, and other health conditions. If those concerns were not enough new research indicates that fatty foods may also have a detrimental effect on muscle and brain power as well.
Evidence has demonstrated that a diet high in fatty foods may have consequences o health that start before the weight gain and cardiovascular damage comes into play. The New York Times reports:

“To determine the effect of a fatty diet on memory and muscle performance, researchers studied 32 rats that were fed low-fat rat chow and trained for two months to complete a challenging maze. The maze included eight different paths that ended with a treat of sweetened condensed milk. The goal was for the rat to find each treat without doubling back into a corridor where it had already been. The maze was wiped down with alcohol, so the rat had to rely on memory rather than sense of smell.

All of the rats studied had mastered the maze, finding at least six or seven of the eight treats before making a mistake. Some rats even found all eight on the first try.

Then half the rats were switched to high-fat rat chow (comprised of 55 percent fat), while the remaining rats stayed on their regular chow (which had 7.5 percent fat). After four days, the rats eating the fatty chow began to falter on the maze test — all of them did worse than when they were on their regular chow. On average, the rats on the fatty diet found only five treats before making a mistake. The rats who stayed with their regular food continued the same high level of performance on the maze, finding six or more treats before making a mistake.”

More research is warranted into the potential effects of a high fat diet. Research done on rats may not be entirely applicable to people but as the very least it should give you more incentive to focus on a healthy balanced diet.