Research has recently found that junk food can lead to neurological changes in the brain that may lead to obesity.

Junk Food.ent

Junk Food

An article published in the journal of Cell Metabolism, noted these findings in an experiment conducted on mice that were fed a high-fat diet. The researchers discovered that these mice had hypothalamic inflammation that caused changes in the microglia of the brain.

The Changes that Occur in the Brain

The cells receiving energy from the food they ingested were much smaller in these animals. Research suggests that this leads them to consume larger amounts of food in order to gain adequate energy levels.

These changes in turn affect the ability of the hypothalamus to regulate energy and glucose homeostasis which could lead to higher food consumption and obesity.

Neurological disease has been linked to changes in microglia, according to the National Institutes of Health.

The researchers said noted that there are specific brain mechanisms that are activated when exposed to certain types of foods. This is a mechanism that can be important from an evolutionary perspective. However, when foods high in fat and carbohydrates are constantly available, this has a negative impact.

References

  • Freeman LR, Haley-Zitlin V, Rosenberger DS, Granholm AC. Damaging effects of a high-fat diet to the brain and cognition: a review of proposed mechanisms. Nutr Neurosci. 2014 Nov;17(6):241-51.
  • Liu Y, Fu X, Lan N, Li S, Zhang J, Wang S, Li C, Shang Y, Huang T, Zhang L. Luteolin protects against high fat diet-induced cognitive deficits in obesity mice. Behav Brain Res. 2014 Jul 1;267:178-88.
  • Nameni G, Farhangi MA, Hajiluian G, Shahabi P, Abbasi MM. Insulin deficiency: A possible link between obesity and cognitive function. Int J Dev Neurosci. 2017 Jun;59:15-20.