Long-term, high-fat diet alters the brains of mice: changes in the brain can contribute to weight gain cycles

PharmaLive.com (15 November 2010) - the brain of mice fed a diet high in fat for a long period of time have shown irreversible changes in areas associated with reward and pleasure, a new study has found.

The research was presented at neuroscience 2010 annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, held in San Diego.

"Our data shows that chronic consumption of a high-fat diet leads to significant changes in the chemistry of the brain," says author main Teresa Reyes, Dr., of the University of Pennsylvania School of medicine.

Fatty food draw centres of the brain, pleasure the same areas triggered by cocaine or heroin .Reyes and his colleagues explored whether these routes could be changed at the molecular level by eating a diet high in fat over a long period of time. The researchers found that the genes involved with rewards have been modified in mice fed a diet rich in fat more than six months.The authors suggest changes that can promote cravings for fatty foods, could have serious consequences.

Many people are faced with unhealthy weight loss cycles and gagner.Cette study demonstrates the biological challenges out of this cycle. ""These results further inform us diets long-term health impacts rich in fat and suggest an explanation for why some people face these challenges on the path to weight loss and healthy eating," said Reyes.

Research has been funded by the national Institute of mental health.

Editor's note: this article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

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The story above is reproduced (with drafting adaptations by staff at PharmaLive.com) materials provided by Society for Neuroscience.

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