Why can obesity cause neuroinflammation?
Obesity is a major issue in today’s society and is an emerging pandemic plaguing the world. The globalization of the western diet and world-wide addictive TV programming and eatery joints focused on high-fat and high-sugar foods are fueling this pandemic unhindered. The question is, when are governments going to do something about this? The focus is also limited in today’s medical world, where physicians are taught to treat the side effects of obesity rather than the disease itself. In this section, we will discuss why this is not merely the accumulation of excess fatty tissue in the body but goes beyond that to accelerate aging and disease processes, leading to global morbidity and mortality that is killing all age groups, young and old alike.
What is the basis of the claim of neuroinflammation?
Gone are the days where adipose tissue was viewed as an inert or non-functional entity—with the progression of obesity over the years, this tissue undergoes metabolic and hormonal transformations that change the signature of the inflammatory markers that are secreted.
These inflammatory markers are the hallmark of most forms of chronic disease—from diabetes, heart disease, cancer, athersclerosis, depression, and cognitive dysfunction(Alzheimer's, vascular, and other dementias).
Chronic mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative cell damage, and unhindered inflammatory markers are key in this disease process. The mitochondrial dysfunction is not only in other parts of the body but has been recognized in the brain as well—this may explain the pathogenesis of the cognitive dysfunction we are seeing in obesity.
It is important to note that neuronal cells need a constant supply of energy, and when the power house of the cell—the mitochondria, which supply a staggering 90% of their energy demands—is damaged, this results in neuronal damage and a neurotoxic environment in the brain.
Epidemiological data shows that people with a higher BMI have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
Mitochondria are continuously engaging in processes of fission, fusion, and clearance of diseased organelles as part of their dynamic cellular mechanism.
Mitochondrial health is also linked to the integrity of insulin signaling and the resultant glucose control. The protective action of leptin, a hormone secreted primarily by adipose tissue, is also linked with mitochocrial functional integrity.
To summarize in a nutshell, if you have processes that affect the mitochondria, this in turn will affect the metabolic balance in the whole body, and the brain is not exempt.
A decrease in mitochondrial respiratory function is associated with insulin resistance, which in turn fuels chronic disease. MRI imaging has demonstrated brain atrophy in patients with obesity.
Higher BMI is also associated with lower gray matter volumes in the brain( amygdala, putamen, cerebellum, thalamus, occipital cortex, prefrontal, and temporal areas). Science shows that a 1.0 increase in the BMI may increase Alzheimer's risk by a whopping 36%.
This risk has no respect for age or race—no one is exempt! This is primarily true for our growing children and adults alike—science shows the long-term detrimental effects of obesity on hippocampal-dependent learning ability.
Having summarized the above effects of obesity, I hope and pray that we can all make positive, constructive changes to our diet and lifestyle. Have a conversation with your doctor and make changes for our long-term well-being. I pray, as always, that you will make educated choices and live long and strong!
