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The location of body fat may be more important than the number on the scale. Research indicates that excess belly fat is strongly associated with reduced brain volume and accelerated brain aging, particularly in areas linked to memory and cognitive function.
Hidden deep in the abdomen, visceral fat may be doing more damage than many realize. This inflammatory fat has been linked to reduced gray and white matter in the brain, faster brain shrinkage, and cognitive decline in middle age.
Research suggests that lowering visceral fat could help slow this process, with protective effects that may last for a decade or more. The stronger connection was seen with reduced visceral fat, which is the deep fat wrapped around internal organs. Overall weight loss alone was not linked to the same brain-protective effects.
In the large study spanning up to 16 years, researchers tracked more than 500 adults. It found that those who reduced and kept off deep belly fat stored around internal organs had slower brain shrinkage and stronger memory and cognitive scores years later.
With rates of obesity and dementia climbing, these findings are especially significant and makes a compelling case that body fat location matters. Not all body fat affects the brain in the same way, and deep abdominal fat appears to be especially important for brain health.
To view the original scientific study click below:
Sustained visceral fat loss is associated with attenuated brain atrophy and improved cognitive function in late midlife
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