A diet that is too fatty has already been widely associated with weight gain and cardiovascular problems. A study from the University of Louisiana (United States) shows that a diet high in fat could also cause behavioral changes and depressions. A phenomenon linked, according to the researchers, to the effect of fat on the intestinal flora.
An experiment conducted on mice
These works, published in the journal Biological Psychiatry, were carried out on mice. Non-obese adult rodents fed a normal diet received a microbiota transplant (intestinal flora) from mice with a high fat or normal diet.
The behavior of the mice was then observed. Those which received the flora of mice subjected to the very fatty diet showed, in addition to signs of intestinal inflammation, numerous behavioral disorders such asanxiety, memory problems and repetitive behaviors.
Fatty foods are bad for the brain
Conclusion: A diet high in fat is bad for the health of the brain. Changes in the bacterial flora in the gut are sufficient to alter the functioning of the brain, even in the absence of obesity.
Results which confirm older studies which have shown, in animals, that certain bacterial strains increase anxiety behaviors. This Louisiana study could lead to a potential use of the gut microbiome in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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