According to a recent study published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology and titled “Here’s what happens to your brain when you eat fried eggs“, a diet high in saturated fat can lead to impaired cognitive function, including blunting the dopamine reward system, while increasing dependence on foods that are too rich.
The researchers worked with three groups of rats. The first group was put on a low fat diet containing equal amounts of monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids. The second group received a diet high in monounsaturated fat where 50% of the calories came from olive oil. Finally, the third group received a diet high in saturated fat where 50% of the calories came from palm oil.
The rats subjected to the latter diet had a considerably reduced function of dopamine (a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in communication between certain neurons). In other words, the more they ate foods fortified with palm oil, the more they needed to consume to achieve the same level of satisfaction.
According to the team of researchers at the University of Montreal, who led this study, it’s no surprise that what we eat has a profound impact on how the brain works. Their study shows that, regardless of weight gain and the risk of cardiovascular disease, a diet high in fat can cause impairments in the functioning of brain circuits deeply involved in mood disorders, drug addiction and overeating.
“Consumed reasonably, fatty acids do not represent a danger but they should represent a small percentage of our diet” they explain.
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