Inflammation in Summation: How Fatty Foods Affect our Brain Chemistry

In a previous installment of our blog, I wrote on how our daily habits can influence our mental health, especially in relation to the foods we consume and our gut microbiome [1]. Further research on the topic has led me to another branch of this topic in relation to our gut-brain connection that I find a necessary addition to my previous blog post.

In a recent study conducted by Louisiana State University, researchers hypothesized and found supporting evidence "that a high-fat diet produces changes in health and behavior, in part, by changing the mix of bacteria in the gut" [2]. Even further, this group of researchers deduced that symptoms of brain inflammation from high fat diets were not just in connection to overweight individuals, but that "gut microbiome are sufficient to alter brain function even in the absence of obesity" [2].

Making these connections is more important today than it ever has been. With the recent rise of popular, trendsetting diets that are high in fat and low in carbs like keto, it is necessary to make these connections and be aware of potential risk factors in a world of false health marketing. Of course, to many it Is obvious that eating large quantities of fats consistently - especially those connected to greasy, carbohydrate rich foods - can cause problems for bodily systems. But many remain unaware of different types of "fatty" foods, where not all are created equal.

In another study conducted by researchers at Yale University in 2019, a link between brain chemistry and the gut arose in observation of animals with high fat diets developing habits that caused them to eat more frequently and become obese. Researchers concluded that "high-fat diets affect us physically, but conveys how an unhealthy diet can alter our food intake neurologically." [3] Although the gut-brain connection is a complex and everchanging line of questioning, I believe it holds the key to our happiness and longevity, and with more research around the topic, we could use diet as a tool to keep ourselves mentally and physically clear.

Sources:

1. https://www.computingreapplied.com/article/1

2. Elsevier."High-fat diet alters behavior and produces signs of brain inflammation." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 26 March 2015. <https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/03/150326110954.htm>

3. Yale University. "High-fat diets affect your brain, not just your physical appearance." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 9 September 2019. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190909121234.htm>.