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- Staying in shape could help your brain age slower, doctors say (the-independent.com)
Want a Younger Brain? Hit the Gym and Ditch the Belly Fat, Say Doctors
Good news for those hitting the weights and skipping the extra dessert! A new study suggests that staying in shape does more than just make you look good – it could be the secret to keeping your brain youthful and potentially warding off Alzheimer’s disease.
Doctors at the Radiological Society of North America announced Monday the findings of a study that determined individuals with less hidden belly fat and more muscle mass tend to have younger-looking brains. This discovery could pave the way for new treatments for Alzheimer’s, a form of dementia currently affecting over 7 million Americans.
Dr. Cyrus Raji, an associate professor of radiology and neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St.
Louis, Missouri, emphasized the connection. “Healthier bodies with more muscle mass and less hidden belly fat are more likely to have healthier, youthful brains,” Dr.
Raji stated. “Better brain health, in turn, lowers the risk for future brain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s.”
Researchers have long linked visceral fat – the fat stored deep within the abdomen and around organs – to brain health issues, including an increased risk of Alzheimer’s.
The Body-Brain Connection Illuminated
Dr. Raji highlighted how their analysis validates the strong link between physical health and brain health. “This research has validated widely held hypotheses about the association between body composition biomarkers and brain health and provides a foundation for those biomarkers to be included in future trials of various metabolic interventions and treatments,” he explained.
To conduct the study, researchers utilized whole-body MRI scans on 1,164 healthy men and women to pinpoint the fattiest areas of their bodies. An AI algorithm then analyzed the participants’ muscle-to-fat ratio and subsequently determined their brain age.
The results showed a clear pattern: individuals with higher ratios of visceral fat to muscle exhibited older brain ages. Interestingly, this correlation was not observed with subcutaneous fat, the layer of fat just beneath the skin.
While visceral fat is a significant factor, it’s not the only one influencing brain aging. Beyond the natural aging process that affects memory and cognitive ability, harmful inflammation, emotional trauma, and high blood pressure have all been identified as accelerators of brain aging.
More Reps, Fewer Years for Your Brain
The takeaway? You can actively work to keep your brain younger by reducing visceral fat and building muscle.
The gym, it seems, isn’t just for sculpted biceps. Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign suggest that when you exercise, your muscles release chemical signals that are believed to positively influence your brain.
These new findings also reinforce decades of research demonstrating that maintaining less fat and more muscle offers protection against conditions like heart failure and diabetes.
In the realm of weight-loss solutions, while many drugs can lead to significant fat reduction, a common side effect is muscle mass loss. However, newer versions and certain types of weight-loss drugs, such as amylin-based medications, may result in less lean muscle loss compared to popular GLP-1 class drugs like Ozempic.
Dr. Raji noted that these findings could help inform the future development and use of such medications.
The full research is slated to be presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America. So, if you’re looking for another great reason to stay active, consider it a brain-boosting investment!
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- Staying in shape could help your brain age slower, doctors say (the-independent.com)