2024-04-24 11:00:03
In our diet, the intake of omega-6 fatty acids and omega-3 fatty acids is too unbalanced, which increases the risk of obesity and can also promote certain cognitive disorders. Including more sources of omega-3 in our menus, such as fatty fish, nuts and even flaxseed, can have a significant impact on our health. In your meals, you should favor sources of omega-3 fatty acids, such as rapeseed oil, fatty fish, nuts and even flaxseed, which can have a significant impact on our health.
In a world where the fight once morestobesity loom large in public health problems, we are constantly bombarded with information regarding diet, exercise and a healthy lifestyle.
Almost one in two French people are overweight or obese. But did you know that these number hide a real battle taking place in our organs and in our brains?
Respect a certain omega-6/omega-3 ratio
Behind the public health problem of overweight and obesity lies a much more complex web that links our eating habits to our mental well-being. At the heart of this relationship is a delicate balance between two types of fatty acids: omega-6 and omega 3.
The foods that are richest in omega-3 fatty acids are nuts and rapeseed, flax, soya oils etc. as well as fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines or even anchovies.
Omega-6 fatty acids are found especially in sunflower, corn seed, grape or argan oils.
Imagine this: every time we choose foods rich in omega-6, for example some vegetable oils and ultra-processed foods (for example convenience foods found in supermarkets, sweet biscuits and aperitif biscuits, chips or even instant soups), we increase the risk of obesity.
But what is still too often ignored is that we also promote chronic inflammation which can insidiously affect our brain and thus promote certain neurological disorders such as anxiety.
Reference centers such asWorld Health Organization (WHO) or the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the USA recommend consuming between 3 and 5 omega-6 for 1 omega-3 (ratio 3/1 to 5/1). However digestion of most developed and developing countries exceeds 10/1 and may even reach 15/1. In other words, the consumption of omega-6 is more than ten times, and up to fifteen times higher than omega-3!
What are the links between fatty acids, obesity and neuroinflammation?
Overweight is the result of a complex interaction between genetic and environmental causes, in which diet plays a major role.
This pathology is associated with many comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis, cancer and neurological disorders (anxiety, depression, cognitive disorders, etc.).
Excessive calorie consumption leads to metabolic dysfunction, also called metabolic syndrome which is characterized in particular by a high waist circumference, abnormal sugar and lipid levels in the blood, high blood pressure, etc.
We now know that it is also responsible for one chronic inflammation at the level of the central nervous system and especially the brain, which is known as neuroinflammation.
Inflammation that affects different key areas of the brain
This neuroinflammation seen in obesity affects several areas of the brain, especially the cortex (responsible for motor skills, sensitivity, sensoriality, language, etc.), the amygdala (which coordinates the center of emotions, happiness, fear, anger, anxiety…), the hippocampus (which controls cognition, especially learning, memory, etc.) and the hypothalamus.
However, the hypothalamus is the main region of the brain that controls eating behavior as well as the balance between input (via food) and energy expenditure (energy homeostasis). It is therefore believed that the neuroinflammation observed in the brain contributes to the cognitive and metabolic dysfunctions observed in obesity.
Work with animals to understand the effects on humans
We performed a study where we are interested in mice exposed to different diets, to the development of obesity, glucose metabolism, inflammation and behaviour.
Working with mice instead of humans provides the opportunity to directly explore the effects of fatty acid consumption on the brain and its function.
In mouse studies, it is actually possible to precisely control the supply of fatty acids, which is difficult to achieve in humans for ethical and monitoring reasons. In addition, mice have a short lifespan and reproduce rapidly, enabling longitudinal and genetic studies that are difficult to perform in humans.
Finally, as a biological model, the mouse shares many genes and metabolic pathways with our species, making it a relevant model for studying the effects of fatty acids on the brain and their impact on neurological health.
Health and behavior of mice altered by unbalanced diets
Specifically, how did we proceed? We fed the mice for five months that contained identical intakes of fat, carbohydrates and protein, but had different ratios of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids.
A first group was fed a beneficial diet enriched with rapeseed oil (characterized by a low omega-6/omega-3 ratio, lower than the recommendations of reference health organizations). Another group was fed a diet close to that found in Western human food, based on soybean oil and corn oil (average omega-6/omega-3 ratio). Finally, a third group followed an extremely harmful diet, highly enriched in sunflower oil (very high omega-6/omega-3 ratio).
We found that mice fed a diet high in omega-6 fatty acids compared to omega-3 fatty acids showed an increased tendency to obesity. This tendency to accumulate body fat has been accompanied by a change in the ability to regulate blood sugar levels (or blood sugar), a factor that is key in the development of diabetes type 2 in humans.
The results must be confirmed on humans
Our study also found that mice exposed to high ratios of omega-6/omega-3 fatty acids (via a very high intake of sunflower oil) had increased inflammation in various organs, including liver and fat, consistent with what is known regarding metabolic complications associated with excess body fat in humans.
Increased inflammation was also characteristically detected in their brains, particularly in the hypothalamus and hippocampus, regions involved in the regulation of food intake and memory, respectively. It is then possible that this brain inflammation, called neuroinflammation, is the origin of the triggering of anxiety-like behavior and spatial memory impairment that we observed in these mice, which suggests a correlation between excess omega-6 fatty acids and neurological changes.
A poor omega-6/omega-3 ratio increases the risk of overweight and obesity. Studies suggest that it may also promote chronic brain inflammation and cognitive impairment.
In contrast, mice fed a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids (marked by a high intake of rapeseed oil) showed a reduction in obesity, with less accumulation of body fat and better regulation of glucose levels. In addition, these mice showed a reduction in inflammation in their peripheral tissues (liver and adipose tissue) as well as in the brain. Behaviorally, these mice were found to suffer from fewer anxiety symptoms and have better spatial memory scores.
Let’s adopt good eating habits
Full investigations must now be carried out in humans to confirm these hypotheses. However, our results now emphasize the importance of maintaining an adequate balance between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in the diet, in accordance with the recommendations of reference health organizations, to prevent not only metabolic complications (diabetes, high blood levels). pressure, cardiovascular risks, etc.), but also neurological risks associated with obesity.
In our society where processed foods rich in omega-6 fatty acids are ubiquitous, it is crucial to raise awareness of the importance of omega-3 fatty acid intake to maintain good metabolic and neurological health.
Obviously, it is not a question of eliminating sunflower oil for its omega-6 fatty acids and consuming only canola oil for omega-3. However, simple changes in dietary habits, such as favoring sources of omega-3 fatty acids such as fatty fish, nuts and flaxseed, are needed, which can have a significant impact on our health.
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