Major weight loss is like rejuvenating the brain, according to a Quebec study published in the latest issue of the journal Neurolmage. The research, conducted with 32 patients who underwent bariatric surgery, shows that their brain had rejuvenated by more than five years 24 months after surgery.
White and grey matter tend to atrophy with age, “a perfectly normal phenomenon,” says Andréanne Michaud, director of the study and professor at the School of Nutrition at Laval University, but which tends to accelerate among overweight people. The reductions in grey matter due to obesity are consistent with the pattern of brain atrophy associated with age,” the study says.
Obesity therefore leads to premature brain aging,” explains Professor Michaud. In fact, a growing number of studies have associated brain abnormalities with conditions related to excess weight, such as inflammation, insulin resistance, diabetes and hypertension.
The study led by the researcher proves for the first time that the brain has the capacity to recover from the deterioration caused by obesity.