The brain-body link: How body fat affects cognitive health

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NEW YORK, Oct 23, (Agencies): Your diet and lifestyle can influence your cognitive health, as recent research reveals a connection between body fat and brain volume. Surprisingly, the impact is most prominent in younger adults.

One individual, aged 66, named Susan Savett, decided to make changes to her diet and exercise routine not just for her body but for her cognitive well-being. Her motivation was deeply personal as she had witnessed her mother’s battle with Alzheimer’s disease and noticed cognitive challenges in herself, like difficulty with recall.

International researchers, collaborating with Providence Saint John’s Health Center, delved into this relationship between body fat and brain volume. Dr. Cyrus Raji from Washington University in St. Louis explained that the study unveiled a correlation between an excess of fat cells and inflamed fat tissues sending signals to the brain, encouraging it to reduce in size. Reduced brain volume increases the risk of dementia later in life.

To investigate this, MRI scans were performed on 10,000 participants, with the most significant effects observed in those aged 20-39. This is a crucial finding, suggesting that the changes in the brain related to body fat are not simply due to natural aging.

Moreover, the study pointed out that women showed a stronger link between increased abdominal fat and reduced brain volume compared to men. Researchers suggest that variations in hormone levels might play a role in this gender difference.

The big question is, can brain shrinkage be reversed? Dr. David Merrill from Providence St. John’s Health Center has worked with individuals like Susan Savett to mitigate cognitive decline through lifestyle adjustments. Savett attests to feeling sharper and more cognitively agile after adopting a “feeding-the-brain diet.”

Dr. Merrill recommends daily moderate physical activity for 30 minutes and adhering to a nutritious diet of 2,000 calories or less per day. He underscores the importance of selecting foods that nourish both the body and the brain.

The choice, as Susan Savett puts it, is in your hands. Daily choices have the potential to influence cognitive well-being, as evidenced by her own journey of cognitive improvement.

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