Saturated fat, present in delectable dishes like cheeseburgers, fries and milkshakes, boasts an ever-increasing nutritional rap sheet. Notably, it can negatively impact your cholesterol and increase your risk for heart disease.

Now, according to research from the University of North Carolina’s School of Medicine, the infamous lipid is tacking on another offense: meddling with your memory.

The study, published in Neuron, shows that a group of brain cells in the hippocampus, referred to as CCK interneurons, tip into overdrive after following a high-fat diet in mice. Saturated fat impairs the brain’s ability to receive sugar. After even a few days of this kind of eating, the hippocampus and its memory processing are disrupted.

Scientists were surprised by the speed at which the cells shifted their activity in response to a dip in glucose availability — and how this small change was enough to weaken memory.

Importantly, the study suggests junk food high in fat can quickly impact the brain, long before you notice weight gain or a doctor doles out a diabetes diagnosis. Longterm negative effects could include a higher risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases like dementia or Alzheimer’s.

In contrast, when brain glucose levels were restored, the overactive CCK neurons calmed down and memory problems began to subside. Dietary interventions like intermittent fasting just after a high-fat diet were enough to help the brain return to better memory functioning, scientists said.

Although in the long run, it might be easier to just decrease the amount of saturated fat we consume to begin with.