It’s no secret that eating a diet loaded with fats can put you on the road to obesity, with risks of heart disease and stroke.
But did you know that with obesity also comes an increased risk for cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease?
That’s right. All those fast-food meals can cause brain inflammation that leads to cognitive impairment and memory loss.
But is obesity the cause, or is it the food itself?
Well, it takes some time to become obese, no matter how bad a person’s diet. So, if obesity were the main factor, it stands to reason that it would take that same amount of time before cognitive deficits start to appear.
However, new research presents evidence that the effects of a high-fat diet on the brain show up in as little as three days.
«SPONSORED»
High-fat eating creates cognitive changes in just 3 days
A few years ago, researchers at Ohio State University showed that just one meal high in saturated fat (like the kind you’d get in a fast-food drive-thru) is enough to mess with your mental performance and focus.
These researchers didn’t investigate the “why” of this, but a more recent study has.
“We’re really looking for the effects of the diet directly on the brain. And we showed that within three days, long before obesity sets in, tremendous neuroinflammatory shifts are occurring,” says senior study author Dr. Ruth Barrientos.
Dr. Barrientos is an investigator in the Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research at Ohio State University.
This study investigated the impact of a high-fat diet in rats after three months (to model diet-induced obesity) as well as after just three days (to model the rapid changes that occur when we eat fatty foods).
After just three days, the rats showed negative inflammatory changes in the brain and two types of memory impairment common in older people with dementia:
- Contextual memory is the ability to remember emotional or social circumstances related to an event and is controlled by the hippocampus, the primary memory center of the brain.
- Cued-fear memory (recalling a stimulus that has signaled danger in the past) originates in the amygdala, the fear and danger center of the brain.
“The results dispel the idea that diet-related inflammation in the aging brain is driven by obesity,” says Dr. Barrientos.
“Unhealthy diets and obesity are linked, but they are not inseparable. We’re really looking for the effects of the diet directly on the brain. And we showed that within three days, long before obesity sets in, tremendous neuroinflammatory shifts are occurring.”
«SPONSORED»
Preserving your brain power
The MIND diet was created by researchers from Rush University Medical Center and is based on decades’ worth of brain health research.
In a 12-year study, people who ate a diet that resembled the MIND diet reduced their risk of being diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (the precursor to dementia) or dementia by 19 percent.
Another study indicated that, when it’s strictly adhered to, it can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by 53%.
So, what can you eat on the MIND diet?
- Berries are emphasized over other fruits due to their high antioxidant content.
- Eating fish, a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, is recommended at least once a week.
- Leafy greens are especially emphasized. Compared to other vegetables, they are especially linked to reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline.
- A daily 5 oz. serving of red wine.
Are you surprised by the red wine? There’s certainly science there…
Barcelona-based researchers discovered that the antioxidant resveratrol, found in the skin of grapes, protected mice against memory loss induced by a high-fat diet and prevented memory loss in mice altered to have Alzheimer’s. The antioxidant also reduced amyloid plaques and tau neurofibrillary tangles, both of which are manifestations of Alzheimer’s disease.
Other foods allowed on the MIND diet include whole grains, poultry, beans, lentils, soybeans and olive oil.
The MIND diet does include a few “unhealthy” foods that you’ll need to limit. You can only eat ½ teaspoon of butter a day and not more than one serving of fried food or pastries per week.
If this sounds like a plan you can stick to and you want to save your brain, then give it a try.
Sources:
Memory is impaired in aged rats after 3 days of high-fat eating — Eureka Alert
Obesity-associated memory impairment and neuroinflammation precede widespread peripheral perturbations in aged rats — Immunity and Ageing
The MIND Diet — Barrow Neurological Institute
Read full article here