Staying in shape and maintaining your weight have been highlighted many times for the benefits they bring to your whole body, such as preventing cancer or death related to cardiovascular events, but a new study suggests that keeping obesity at bay may also affect the health of your brain.
In research published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, the scientists analyzed more than 35.000 functional brain scans of more than 17.000 individuals, looking at blood flow and brain activity and comparing them based on the participants' body weight. Differences in brain activity while people were at rest versus performing a task that required concentration were also assessed.
Although the median age of the people studied was 40, the scans spanned an age range of 18 to 94 and included both men and women. Weight was determined using the body mass index (BMI), which groups individuals into categories of underweight, normal weight, overweight, obese, and morbidly obese.
The researchers found that as BMI increased, blood flow to the brain tended to be less, both during rest and during concentration. This is important because the less blood that reaches your brain, the higher your risk of dementia, especially Alzheimer disease. Additionally, a decreased blood supply to the brain has been associated with other conditions such as ADHD, la depression, el Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
Areas of the brain that are particularly vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease seemed to be the most affected.
What are the effects of obesity on the brain?
Generally speaking, it's true that the higher your BMI, the greater your risk of developing health problems related to being overweight, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. However, it's worth noting that BMI itself doesn't measure your "health," according to Harvard Medical School; rather, the BMI is a measure of your size.
It is possible to be in the range of 'Healthy weight' and having an unhealthy lifestyle. Just like it's possible to be very muscular and have relatively little body fat, but still have a BMI in the range of 'overweight'.
Regardless, the conclusion is that staying fit is key to keeping your brain healthy in the long run. As for the reason, fat cells increase the inflammation, which has been shown to damage all organs, including the brain.
Although this is one of the largest studies linking obesity to brain dysfunction, it is not the first. Some previous research using similar methods has found that obesity is linked to more limited brain function, particularly in the elderly.
What makes this study different is the focus on cerebral blood flow, which may show a increased sensitivity and early dysfunction-related changes cerebral.
The good news is that weight loss and weight maintenance can play an important role in reducing inflammation, which supports brain health. Brains can be improved with a «healing environment» that includes habits such as exercise and eating nutritious food.