Posted on 09/09/2019 2:16:29 PM PDT by Red Badger
Researchers say that a diet too high in fat could change microglial cells in the brain, causing animals -- including humans -- to consume more in order to satisfy energy needs, and become obese.
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In mice, consumption of a high-fat diet caused physical changes to the brain, seemingly making the body seek more food to satisfy energy requirements. File Photo by Gena73/Shutterstock
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Sept. 9 (UPI) -- Hamburgers, french fries, pastries and other fat-filled foods can create neurological changes that may lead to obesity, a new study says.
During an experiment, mice who ate a high-fat diet experienced hypothalamic inflammation which caused physical changes to their microglial cells, researchers report in a study published this month in Cell Metabolism.
The cells, which draw energy from food, were considerably smaller in the animals. The study suggests this leads them to consume more food to stay properly energized, researchers say.
"We were intrigued by the fact that these are very fast changes that occur even before the body weight changes, and we wanted to understand the underlying cellular mechanism," Sabrina Diano, a researcher at Yale University and study lead author, said in a news release.
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The researchers found shrinkage of the microglial cells' mitochondria was caused by Uncoupling Protein 2, or UCP2, which controls energy use in the cells. This, in turn, influences the hypothalamus' ability to regulate energy and glucose homeostasis, which could lead to overeating.
The high-fat diet triggered inflammation that caused UCP2 to activate the microglial cells. That interaction affected neurons in the brain, which led to mice in the high-fat diet group to consume more food and become obese.
But when the researchers removed UCP2 from the cells, the mice ate less and became less likely to gain weight.
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The researchers want to continue to learn more about the connection between the microglia and various diseases of the brain, like Alzheimer's disease. The neurological condition has been linked to changes in microglial cells, according to the National Institutes of Health.
"There are specific brain mechanisms that get activated when we expose ourselves to specific type of foods," Diano said. "This is a mechanism that may be important from an evolutionary point of view. However, when food rich in fat and carbs is constantly available it is detrimental."
Hahahahahaha!
Big Food/Big Pharma just won’t give up.
"Could". Except that uh, no. That's not what happens when people do it. Just the opposite.
"Hamburgers, french fries, pastries and other fat-filled foods"
Notice anything else in those foods?
Well, now I have someone to blame!..................
I guarantee, there is no way I could do “One Meal A Day” if I wasn’t doing a Ketogenic Diet. I am not hungry during the day, I don’t even think about food until it’s time to eat.
Carbs and sugars...............
For me, that's ANYTIME!..................
Hmmmmm, I just don’t know what it could be....could it be........SUGAR?!?!
Gimme a damn break. I eat want I wanna eat. Period. If I get diarhea from the local taco food truck, so be it.
Sugar. And lots of it.
My own personal experience is the opposite. When I’m on a high fat, low carb diet I eat less, typically one or two meals, and no snacks. When I eat a lot of carbs I’m always hungry and invariably overeat.
It's not for me. I have a diet that is more balanced, avoiding over-processed foods or foods with added stuff (like added gluten).
I've avoided beef and milk fat. The best nutrition lecture I ever went to, the speaker said that the chemicals used in beef and meat settle in the fat. Avoid the fat, avoid the chemicals.
I've never seen or heard verification of that. But it does make sense. Does anybody know for sure?
He’s correct. Fat and the Liver, too...................
Bullschtein article. That big burger is on an even bigger bun. Get the wheat and other grains out of your life and you’ll lose weight. I went on a grain-free diet, upped my meat consumption and my ldl cholesterol went down 40 points in six weeks.
Read Wheat Belly by William Davis, MD.
Except, they did not feed the mice food high in sugar. They fed them food high in fat.
You’re lucky to be alive......................
I buy beef from local growers that are grass-finished for the reasons you stated.
I like the fact that I buy local and support local farmers.
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