A new research explains how fatty foods not only increases the waistline but also plays havoc with the brain.
A study undertaken by a team of international researchers establishes a clear connection between mice fed on a high-fat diet for 30 weeks resulted in diabetes, and subsequent diminish in their cognitive abilities, including developing depression, anxiety, and worsening Alzheimer’s disease.
On the other hand, likelihood of mice with weakened cognitive function to have excessive weight gain due to poor metabolism related to brain changes is more.
The research adds to the growing pool of evidence that links diabetes and chronic obesity with Alzheimer’s disease, predicted to be 100 million cases by 2050.
Diabetes and obesity impair the central nervous system, worsening psychiatric disorders and cognitive decline. The finding is demonstrated in the study with mice.
For the study, mice were randomly put on a standard diet or a high-fat diet for 30 weeks commencing at eight weeks of age. This involved monitoring glucose levels, food intake, and body weight at different times along with insulin and glucose tolerance tests and cognitive dysfunction.
At the end of 30 weeks, mice on high-fat diet developed insulin resistance, gained lot of weight, and started showing abnormal behaviour compared to those fed on standard diet.
Mice with genetically modified Alzheimer’s disease displayed significant deterioration of pathological and cognition changes in the brain while fed the high fat diet.
Physiologically, obese individuals have about 55% increased risk of developing depression, and the risk doubling with diabetes.
The findings underline the importance of addressing the obesity epidemic globally. A combination of age, obesity, and diabetes is very likely to lead to decline of cognitive abilities, Alzheimer’s, and other mental disorders.