Study suggests a link between junk food and disrupted brain function

A recent study found that junk food can alter the neurological pathways of the brain, reducing its ability to control calorie intake. According to researchers, the mechanisms that fatty foods spark on neural activity may not only lead to overeating, but also increase obesity.

A new study in the Journal of Physiology suggests that junk food impairs the brain’s ability to control calorie intake by altering neurological pathways, and subsequently inhibits appetite in the long term, leading to overeating and weight gain. may cause.

Researchers from Penn State College of Medicine in the United States came to this conclusion after conducting research in which rats were fed a high-fat, high-calorie diet for 14 days. They observed that the mice’s astrocytes (cells in the brain that control neuron functions, including the pathway between the brain and the gut) became depressed by continuous fat consumption. These star-shaped cells act as intermediaries between the brain and the stomach and signal chemical transmitters that determine how the stomach functions. No abnormalities were observed in the brain or gut during the first four days of the study. However after fourteen days, the researchers observed a decrease in astrocyte activity in the mice, which led to disrupted digestion and appetite.

“Calorie intake is regulated by astrocytes in the short term. We found that a brief exposure (three to five days) to a high fat/calorie diet had the greatest effect on astrocytes, triggering normal signaling pathways to control gut Over time, astrocytes become desensitized to a high-fat diet. About 10-14 days after eating a high-fat/calorie diet, astrocytes begin to fail to respond and the brain’s ability to control caloric intake The capacity is lost. This disrupts the signaling to the stomach and delays how it empties,” explained lead study author Dr. Kirsten Browning in the press release.

Normally, the brain has the ability to adapt in response to what is eaten, and reduces the amount of food consumed to balance caloric intake. Astrocytes initially respond when high-fat, high-calorie foods are consumed. Their activation triggers the release of gliotransmitters, chemicals that stimulate nerve cells and activate common signaling pathways to stimulate neurons that control stomach function. The release of gliotransmitters after food has passed through the digestive tract allows the stomach to fill and contract to empty itself. Over time, the chemical signaling cells become weak and digestion slows down: the stomach no longer fills and empties properly.

According to Dr. Kirstin Browning, it is still unclear whether the decrease in astrocyte activity is the cause or a result of overeating. “We have yet to discover whether the loss of astrocyte activity and signaling mechanisms is the cause of overeating or whether it occurs in response to overeating. We are eager to find out whether the brain’s loss of ability to control caloric intake It is possible to reactivate the lost capacity. If this is the case, it may lead to interventions to help restore caloric regulation in humans.” She says the discovery of a disrupted pathway between the brain and gut could eventually pave the way for anti-obesity treatments.

Nearly two-thirds of adults worldwide are overweight or obese, according to a study published in the journal BMJ Global Health in September 2022. By 2060, researchers predict that three out of four adults will be affected.

Following the study on rats, US researchers plan to explore the action of fatty foods on the brain. Research with humans will need to be done to confirm whether the same mechanism occurs in humans. If so, additional testing will be needed to assess whether the mechanism can be safely targeted without disrupting other neural pathways.

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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)