Beige fat would reduce the inflammation associated with white fat and thus offer protection against dementia.
- Without beige fats, subcutaneous fat begins to act as visceral fat which is responsible for triggering brain inflammation which impairs cognitive abilities.
- The risk of dementia could be predicted by studying the composition of subcutaneous fat.
The beige fat cells, which are generally mixed with the subcutaneous white fat cells, would ensure the protection of the brain. These results, presented on July 30 in the journal NatureCommunications, reveal that pear-shaped bodies, whose weight is generally more evenly distributed, are less at risk for cardio-metabolic problems like heart disease and diabetes, as well as cognitive decline. People who are more apple-shaped have their fat clustered around their middle and often around internal organs like the liver in the abdominal cavity, which promotes “bad fats” that increase the risk of dementia.
Beige fat cells improve memory
Beige fat cells, or adipocytes, appear”indispensable” to the neuro-protective and anti-inflammatory effects of subcutaneous fat, according to the study. Without them, subcutaneous fat begins to act like visceral fat which is responsible for triggering brain inflammation that impairs cognitive abilities and promotes the onset of dementia. This is mainly made up of white fat cells which store energy in the form of triglycerides and also increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
By conducting experiments in mice, the researchers found that those who were deprived of beige fat showed accelerated cognitive dysfunction and a stronger inflammatory response when eating a high-fat diet. In another experiment, transplanting subcutaneous fat from healthy rodents into obese mice improved their memory. The connections between neurons in the hippocampus, the region linked to learning and memory, were restored and the more beige adipocytes added in the subcutaneous fat, the greater the number of connections restored.
Predict the risk of dementia
These results led the researchers to believe that the risk of dementia can be predicted by studying the composition of subcutaneous fat. Changing it could even reduce the risk of dementia. Moreover, previous studies have suggested that this is possible by exposing patients to different temperatures or even through intense physical exercise.
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