Posted on 09/10/2021 10:55:35 AM PDT by Red Badger
When rats are fed a high fat diet, this disturbs the body clock in their brain that normally controls satiety, leading to over-eating and obesity. That’s according to new research published in The Journal of Physiology.
The number of people with obesity has nearly tripled worldwide since 1975.[1] In England alone, 28% of adults are obese and another 36% are overweight.[2] Obesity can lead to several other diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer.[3]
This new research may be a cornerstone for future clinical studies that could restore the proper functioning of the body clock in the brain, to avoid overeating.
Historically, it was believed that the master body clock was only located in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. However, further research over the years has clarified that some control of our body’s daily rhythms (hormone levels, appetite, etc.) lies in several other parts of the brain and body, including a group of neurons in the evolutionary ancient brainstem, called the dorsal vagal complex (DVC).
Specifically, the DVC has been shown to control food intake by inducing satiety.
Research has also shown that in obesity, daily rhythms in food intake and the release of hormones related to eating, are blunted or eliminated.
However, it has not been clear if the malfunctioning of brain centers controlling appetite is a cause or the result of obesity.
This new research conducted at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow in collaboration with the University of Bristol found that high-fat diet fed rats, before they started to gain weight, showed changes in the DVC’s daily neuronal rhythms and the response of these neurons to appetite hormones.
Thus, the researchers propose that disturbance in the DVC’s timekeeping leads to obesity, rather than being the result of excessive body weight.
The research was performed on two groups of rats: those fed a well-balanced control diet (10% kcal from fat) and a high-fat diet (70% kcal from fat).
To mimic the impact of unhealthy diet on humans, the researchers introduced the new diet to adolescent rats (4-week-old) and monitored their food intake across 24 hours for four consecutive weeks.
Electrophysiological recordings were performed to measure how DVC neuronal activity changes across 24h. The use of multi-electrode arrays allowed for simultaneous monitoring of around a hundred DVC neurons from each brainstem slice. This enabled the researchers to assess circadian changes of neuronal activity as well as neuronal responses to metabolically-relevant hormones in each of the diet groups.
While the human and mouse brainstem share common features, the major limitation of the study for its immediate translation to humans is that it was performed on nocturnal animals (rats). The peak of the DVC activity was observed at the end of day, which is the rest phase for rodents, but an active phase for people. Thus, it remains to be established if the phase of the brainstem clock is set to day and night, or whether it depends on patterns of rest and activity.
This study opens new research opportunities for trying to establish the strategy how to restore body clock function of the DVC, and therefore help tackle obesity.
Dr. Lukasz Chrobok, first author of the study said:
“I’m really excited about this research because of the possibilities it opens up to tackle the growing health issue of obesity. We still do not know what are the time cues which are able to reset or synchronize the brainstem clock. Hopefully, the restoration of daily rhythms in this satiety center before or after the onset of obesity may provide new therapeutic opportunities.”
Reference: “Rhythmic neuronal activities of the rat nucleus of the solitary tract are impaired by high-fat diet – implications for daily control of satiety” by Lukasz Chrobok, Jasmin D Klich, Anna M Sanetra, Jagoda S Jeczmien-Lazur, Kamil Pradel, Katarzyna Palus-Chramiec, Mariusz Kepczynski, Hugh D Piggins and Marian H Lewandowski, 6 September 2021, The Journal of Physiology. DOI: 10.1113/JP281838
Notes
1. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight
2. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn03336/
3. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/obesity/
It’s carbs that pack on the weight.
Pure bullshit. “Studies” are not research. I know from personal experience carbs and sugar lead to obesity.
Trying to discount the keto high fat diet? Eating high fat works, as long as it’s combined with low carbs and moderate protein. Mix high fat with high carbs, and you get obesity.
What kind of fat? Ultra processed seed oils high in Omega-6 Linoleic Acid? That’s the kind of fat found in most junk food. Omega-3 fats such as found in fish oils? Clean-burning keto-friendly fats such as butter or coconut oil? Article doesn’t mention anything about this crucial piece of information. All fats are not the same. They are not processed the same in the body. Even the study abstract doesn’t mention the type of fats, rendering the study useless, IMHO.
And diabetes where fats and proteins do not play a direct role.
IMO it’s sugar.
So much male bovine scat. I moved from a high carb / low fat diet to a high fat/ low carb diet and lost 100 lbs. Our bodies were designed to burn fat not carbs.
>> Obesity can lead to several other diseases such as Type 2 diabetes
One can suffer T2 without being obese.
I’ll see if I can dig up the actual study. Most of these are
BS.
“One group was fed a control diet
(CD; ~ 3,514 kcal/kg of chow, energy from: 10% fat, 24% protein,66% carbohydrates, cat. no. C1090-10; Altromin, Germany)
and the other, a HFD
(~ 5,389 kcal/kg of chow, energy from: 70% fat, 16% protein, 14% carbohydrates, cat. no. C1090-70; Altromin).”
https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/action/downloadSupplement?doi=10.1113%2FJP281838&file=tjp14816-sup-0001-SuppMat.pdf
So the high fat diet (HFD) that was fed had more than 50% higher calories and was protein restricted.
The hypothesis does not fit the data. Over the last 40 years obesity has exploded, but fat consumption has dropped. The health experts said “Eat a low fat diet” and by and large, we changed to a low fat diet. Didn’t help our satiety.
Anecdotally, I find a high fat, low carb diet much more satisfying and the satisfaction lasts for easy 16+ hour stretches without snacking.
So here we are telling doctors to FO who insist:
1. We cut way back on salt, even though that can be deadly
2. We cut way back on fat, even though fat is the most nutritious food that humans can eat, particularly animal fat.
3. We eat far more ‘healthy’ (LOL) carbs, even though carbs provide no benefit to humans, and many types of carbs are basically poison to our bodies.
4. We take statins, even though the only proven ‘health’ result of taking them is much higher diabetes
5. We cut down our cholesterol intake to lower cholesterol levels in our bodies, even though there is absolutely no linkage between the two
6. We care about cholesterol levels in our bodies and panic if they (the doctors) say its too high
7. We sit home, then go to the hospital when sick, then go on a ventilator, and then die...rather than take Ivermectin when first sick with the virus (or before)
8. We take drugs and then insulin to deal with elevated blood sugar, and diabetes, rather than simply get rid of carbs
...and then we wonder why we even need doctors.
My husband is the same - 4 years now, down 60 lbs, bloodwork (every 6 months) and artery scans are perfect. His cholesterol was a little high the first 6 months, but now lower than when he took a statin.
He feels great. His doctor was (and probably still is) a skeptic, but tells him to keep doing what he’s doing.
A nice added benefit (for both of us) that his allergies are gone and he no longer snores! Better nights sleep for both of us 😁
Over the last 40 years obesity has exploded, but fat consumption has dropped.
People started using a lot of soybean oil and canada oil in the 20th century. These are the main sources of omega 6 fats. The percentage of fats that is omega 6 fats in people’s bodies keeps increasing.
Interesting peer review discussion link! My question would be what kind of fat were the rats fed? The devil is in the details. I suspect they got highly processed seed oils as linoleic acid (omega-6). Lots of data piling up to show that too much omega-6 to omega-3 is bad. If the study only provides the macro nutrient breakdown, then it doesn’t tell us much.
Hardly my area of expertise, but it seems to me that a high carb diet leads to more obesity than high fat.
I think the problem is omega 6 fats. The main sources are soybean oil, canada oil, and corn oil.
If a person’s body is low in omega 6 fats, I think they can consume a lot of sugar and have a normal weight.
One can suffer T2 diabetes without being outwardly obese but I believe almost all cases of T2 do have excessive organ fat, particularly fatty liver.
Well it just won’t do to have millions of people twigging to the notion that lowering the amount of sugar and carbs they eat daily, like bread, highly processed breakfast cereals, noodles, pasta, potatoes, rice, tortillas, chips, fries, cakes, pies, and cookies, can help them lose weight, improve their health, stop taking blood pressure meds, stop taking diabetes meds, reduce the risk of cancer, and live longer...all without paying into big processed food or big drug companies.
They’re losing their jerbs!
Peach
True we are using more unhealthy fats, but overall fat consumption is down as well. Add those together and you get a double whammy with an exaggerated unhealthy to healthy fat ratio.
Don’t ask questions citizen.
Eat your rice, take your vax, and STFU.
Love,
Your Government
All fats are not the same. They are not processed the same in the body. Even the study abstract doesn’t mention the type of fats, rendering the study useless, IMHO.
I read a researh report of about 100 years ago. They gave rats different types of fats and forced them to exercise.
Rats in almost all groups became fat. Those in the coconut oil group had normal weight and an enormous capacity for exercise.
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