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Can your extra weight affect your brain?
November 5, 2008 - Follow me on Twitter
Post presented by guess health expert Dr. Jonny Bowden
Here’s a really interesting connection for you from Dr. Jonny Bowden.
Back in June I wrote about studies by Arthur Kramer, a professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of Illinois, who found that exercise increases brain volume. One way it may accomplish this is by boosting a protein in the brain called BDNF.
This study was widely reported largely because of the promise it showed for helping people improve memory, cognition and brain function. In fact, Kramer wrote at the time that their analysis showed in “unequivocal” terms that aerobic exercise improves cognition in older people.
That alone would be reason enough to want to boost brain levels of BDNF.
Now a new study shows that low levels of BDNF are associated with obesity!
The study, in the Aug 28 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine noted that – based on animal studies – BDNF may help regulate calorie intake. People who – for possibly genetic reasons – have low levels of BDNF have a considerably greater risk of being overweight.
“BDNF is the critical biological link between thought, emotions, and movement” said John Ratey, MD, when I interviewed him recently. Ratey is a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the author of “SPARK: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain.” He calls BDNF “Miracle-Gro” for the brain.
Evidently it can also help your waistline.
The new study isn’t the first time scientists have noticed a connection between obesity and BDNF. In a study published last year in the journal of Neuroscience, researchers removed the BDNF gene in two of the primary appetite-regulating areas of the brains of mice. They promptly became fat mice!
Researchers were able to get the mice back to normal weight by restricting their food, the mouse equivalent of a strict diet, showing that genes aren’t destiny.
But it’s always easier to eat less if you aren’t too hungry, and always harder to “restrict your calories” when you are!
So for those of us who aren’t mice, why not boost levels of a natural compound that seems to help us not want to eat that much in the first place?
Especially when it can be done so easily with basic everyday exercise!
If you know you need to lose weight, and you’ve tried and failed at diets in the past (who hasn’t?), then I strongly urge you to check out Jonny Bowden’s Diet Boot Camp!.
You’ll find more details here if you’re ready to change your body: Jonny Bowden’s Diet Boot Camp!
Photo by gotplaid
We want to know what you think. Do you agree? Or disagree? Leave us a comment!
Posted by Beauty Match on November 5, 2008 | Permalink
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Topics: Body & Mind Health, Diet Tips over 35 |
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2 Responses to “Can your extra weight affect your brain?”
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November 11th, 2008 at 8:00
This was very good info – usually I go into my hiberating mode about now and put on a winter 5-10lbs – but this gives me even more reason to stay active through the dark winter months.
November 11th, 2008 at 10:53
Hi Nan,
It’s quite tempting to blame it on Mr. Winter, but weight gain has a lot of negative impact on our body so it’s best to keep your weight in check year round!
Thanks for your comment!