People with obesity are often likely to develop depression as well, but the mechanisms at play are still unclear. New research in mice may now explain what happens in the brains of individuals who have a high-fat diet
Islamabad (Pakistan Point News / Online - 14th May, 2019) People with obesity are often likely to develop depression as well, but the mechanisms at play are still unclear. New research in mice may now explain what happens in the brains of individuals who have a high-fat diet.Many studies including one that Medical news Today covered in November last year have found that people with obesity are at increased risk of depression.So far, though, it has remained unclear exactly why this is the case, and what biological mechanisms might drive obesity-related depression.
A team of researchers from the University of Glasgow in the United Kingdom and the Gladstone Institutes, in San Francisco, CA, has recently studied how eating a diet high in saturated fats might make depression more likely, using mouse models to do so.The investigators led by Prof. George Baillie, from the University of Glasgow note that this is a particularly important research topic, as obesity-related depression seems to happen via different mechanisms from depression in otherwise healthy individuals.
Fatty acids and brain signalingSo, what happens in the brains of people who are overweight or have obesity that makes them more susceptible to depression?To gain a basic idea, the research team conducted a preliminary study in mouse models to which the scientists fed a high-fat diet, containing up to 60% of both saturated and unsaturated fats.The brains of mammals, including humans, actually need certain fatty acids such as omega-3 to function correctly.
Humans bodies, in particular, cannot synthesize fatty acids on their own, and so they need to absorb these nutrients from food.However, not all fatty acids are as healthful, and the overaccumulation of fatty acids in the body can lead to health problems.In the current study, the researchers looked at how fatty acids accumulated in the brains of the mice eating the high-fat diet, and whether these substances affected mechanisms that scientists tie to mental health and changes in behavior consistent with the presence of depression.
Soon enough, the team found that the mice in their studies experienced an influx of palmitic acid to a region of the brain known as the hypothalamus, which regulates the release of various hormones into the bloodstream.Comfort eating may amplify bad emotions"This is the first time anyone has observed the direct effects a high-fat diet can have on the signaling areas of the brain related to depression," says Prof. Baillie. "This research may begin to explain how and why obesity is linked with depression, and how we can potentially better treat patients with these conditions," he adds.
The team believes that the mechanism it observed in mice is probably also at play in humans with obesity-related depression. The connection between a poor diet and poor mental health makes sense, according to the lead author."We often use fatty food to comfort ourselves as it tastes really good, however, in the long term, this is likely to affect one's mood in a negative way. Of course, if you are feeling low, then to make yourself feel better you might treat yourself to more fatty foods, which then would consolidate negative feelings."
