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High fat and sugar levels in the body can still be affecting your mental health, even if you don't suffer from diabetes or any other major health complication.

A new study has found that high levels of fat and sugar in the body are linked to poor performance on mental ability tests.

Previous research from Archives of Internal Medicine had found that diabetes is associated with lower levels of cognitive function in older women. A study published in Cambridge Journals says that the cognitive decline associated with diabetes type-2 may result in dementia while another study says that diabetes mellitus may be a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. However, the present study found that cognitive declines can be seen in both middle-aged men and women who have high glucose and fat levels and haven't been diagnosed with diabetes.

The study was conducted by researchers from University of Toulouse in France, and involved more than 1,000 middle aged adults, reports HealthDay. Researchers found a significant association between adiposity markers like hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), insulin resistance and cognitive performance. The participants in the study weren't diagnosed with diabetes.

Researchers found that people performing poorly in the mental ability tests were also more likely to have higher body mass index. Waist circumference in men, not in women, was linked to lower scores in mental ability tests.

"In a population of middle-aged adults without diabetes, we found that adiposity and a high level of HbA1c were both associated with poor cognitive performance in tests assessing processing speed," the authors write.

The study is published in the journal Diabetes Care.