An interesting research article just published in the Journal of Neuroscience with the ponderous title "Obesity elicits interleukin 1-mediated deficits in hippocampal synaptic plasticity" describes in detail the mechanism whereby the accumulation of fat creates an inflammatory molecule (interleukin 1) which crosses the blood brain barrier and creates synaptic dysfunction in the brain (makes you stupid).
They also describe how exercise makes you smarter using the same mechanism. When you exercise, the levels of this molecule go down and your synapses start working better again.
These experiments are done in mice but same mechanism takes place in humans.
The NY Times has a very nice article ("How Fat May Hurt the Brain, and How Exercise May Help")
describing all of this in easy to understand language.
So... the message is clear... eat healthy food, not too much and get exercise!
Also... more bad news on meat and dairy:
According to a new study published in the journal Cell Metabolism Tuesday, middle-aged people who regularly consume a diet high in animal proteins from meat and dairy products are more likely to die of cancer than someone who doesn't.
Just one word of advice: vegetables!
They also describe how exercise makes you smarter using the same mechanism. When you exercise, the levels of this molecule go down and your synapses start working better again.
These experiments are done in mice but same mechanism takes place in humans.
The NY Times has a very nice article ("How Fat May Hurt the Brain, and How Exercise May Help")
describing all of this in easy to understand language.
So... the message is clear... eat healthy food, not too much and get exercise!
Also... more bad news on meat and dairy:
According to a new study published in the journal Cell Metabolism Tuesday, middle-aged people who regularly consume a diet high in animal proteins from meat and dairy products are more likely to die of cancer than someone who doesn't.
Just one word of advice: vegetables!
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