Overweight destroys the brain
Last reviewed: 16.10.2021
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Obesity is one of the topics that scientists around the world are working hard on. Of interest are not only the reasons for gaining extra pounds and methods of dealing with them. The attention of specialists is attracted by the processes occurring in the body of obese people. Moreover, the further scientists advance in their research, the more they prove the negative effect of excess weight on the human body.
Recently, Dutch experts were able to find that with obesity, problems even occur in the brain: the amount of gray matter decreases, its structure changes. Researchers came to similar conclusions in the course of studying information on the basis of tomographic examination of twelve thousand volunteers. Scientists have no doubts about the plausibility of the results.
Data on the state of the brain of complete patients were taken from the British Biomaterial Bank. The study examined the characteristics and diagnostic parameters of people belonging to the age category from 45 to 76 years. All the associated information indicated the existence of a clear relationship between being overweight and the altered brain structure.
Specialist radiologist Ilona Dekkers says: "We found the following: with a large presence of fat in the body, the volumes of the most important brain structures are noticeably smaller - in particular, this concerns the structure of gray matter."
Interestingly, changes in the brain vary by gender. So, in male patients, the total amount of gray matter in the brain decreased. But in women, changes were noted only in the area of the basal nuclei - the places of accumulation of gray matter, which are responsible for motor regulation.
In general, the changes were present not only in gray matter, but also in white - however, such defects were microscopic and were not considered by scientists in detail, therefore, experts can not yet say about the consequences of this phenomenon.
Analyzing the results of the experiment, the researchers still can not say for sure whether it is a question of a reverse causal relationship. We cannot exclude the possibility that it is not the extra fat accumulations that adversely affect the brain structure, but rather that disturbances in the brain cause the development of obesity. Now scientists are initiating new research, because they need to thoroughly understand this issue and put all the necessary points.
Nevertheless, earlier it was already proved by experts that people with normal weight have a more active brain, they concentrate better and remember new information. In addition, they are less likely to be bothered by joint diseases, metabolic disorders. Perhaps in the near future other, no less interesting facts will be discovered.
Information is presented on the page hi-news.ru/research-development/ozhirenie-mozhet-privesti-k-razrusheniyu-golovnogo-mozga.html