How fatty foods could be damaging your brain

Chances are, you are feeling a bit hefty after the Thanksgiving period; the average American consumes an average of 4,500 calories and 229 g of fat during a typical holiday get-together. But this overindulgence take its toll not only on the waistline, it could also play havoc with the brain, according to a new study. Published in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity, the study suggests a high-fat diet destroys synapses - connections that aid communication between neurons, or brain cells - in the hippocampus of the brain, which may impair learning and memory.
But it is not all bad news; the research also suggests that switching to a low-fat diet for 2 months can counteract the brain-damaging effects of a high-fat diet.
High-fat diets are a main contributor to obesity, which has become a major public health concern in the US. More than a third of adults in the US are obese, meaning they are at greater risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer.
Aside from weight gain, however, there is increasing evidence that a high-fat diet can harm the brain. Dr. Alexis M. Stranahan - of the Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University - and colleagues decided to investigate this association further.
The researchers explain that when there is too much fat in the body, this leads to chronic inflammation, triggering an autoimmune response from microglia - glial cells that form the primary immune defense in the central nervous system.
Microglia usually help rid the brain of harmful agents, which helps to protect and strengthen neurons, but it appears that too much fat in the body impairs this process.

Medical News Today

How fatty foods could be damaging your brain

Chances are, you are feeling a bit hefty after the Thanksgiving period; the average American consumes an average of 4,500 calories and 229 g of fat during a typical holiday get-together. But this overindulgence take its toll not only on the waistline, it could also play havoc with the brain, according to a new study. Published in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity, the study suggests a high-fat diet destroys synapses - connections that aid communication between neurons, or brain cells - in the hippocampus of the brain, which may impair learning and memory. But it is not all bad news; the research also suggests that switching to a low-fat diet for 2 months can counteract the brain-damaging effects of a high-fat diet. High-fat diets are a main contributor to obesity, which has become a major public health concern in the US. More than a third of adults in the US are obese, meaning they are at greater risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer. Aside from weight gain, however, there is increasing evidence that a high-fat diet can harm the brain. Dr. Alexis M. Stranahan - of the Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University - and colleagues decided to investigate this association further. The researchers explain that when there is too much fat in the body, this leads to chronic inflammation, triggering an autoimmune response from microglia - glial cells that form the primary immune defense in the central nervous system. Microglia usually help rid the brain of harmful agents, which helps to protect and strengthen neurons, but it appears that too much fat in the body impairs this process. Medical News Today