2024-07-15 22:00:00
Home > Health Tips > Stress, Anxiety: Fat and Comfort Foods Are Not Your Allies Written on July 16, 2024 at 12:00 am Stress, Anxiety: Fat is not necessarily your ally!
After a hard day at work or a bad night, many of us find comfort in a delicious greasy dish, a small cake or even a quick snack that requires no effort. A new study from the University of Colorado Boulder suggests this bad habit may actually be affecting our mental health.
The study in mice showed that in the latter, a high-fat diet disrupted naturally occurring gut bacteria, ultimately disrupting the brain-gut axis and causing the brain to secrete anxiety-promoting substances.
How excess fat affects the brain and vagus nerve
The team divided mice into two groups: for nine weeks, half received a standard diet containing about 11 percent fat, and the other group received a high-fat diet (about 45 percent, consisting mainly of saturated fat from animal products; for example, slightly 36% higher than the typical North American diet).
After analyzing their gut microbiomes and behavioral tests, the scientists observed that in addition to gaining weight, the high-fat diet group also showed Gut bacterial diversity significantly reduced and suggested more Firmicutes and fewer Bacteroidetes (an imbalanced ratio associated with obesity).
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The latter group also showed higher expression of three genes (tph2, htr1a and slc6a4) that, when activated, trigger anxiety-like responses in the animals. The study’s lead author said this was a pretty incredible finding: ” The idea that a high-fat diet could alter the expression of these genes in the brain is extraordinary ».
Here’s the unfortunate equation: Foods rich in bad fats create an unhealthy microbiome that damages the intestinal lining, allowing bacteria to circulate in the body and reach the brain via the vagus nerve (which connects the stomach to the brain).
Obviously, not all fats are bad, and the fats found in fish, olive oil, nuts, and seeds are still excellent anti-inflammatory agents for the brain. On the other hand, if you feel like you’re entering a period of stress, do your best not to give in to the pre-made meal or fast food alarm, your brain will thank you!
Also read Which adaptogenic plant is suitable for which stress stage?
Also read Metabolism and Brightness: Choosing Fats for Summer
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