Losing weight is often seen as one of the best ways to improve health, especially for people who are overweight or obese.
It’s widely known that weight loss can help control blood sugar, reduce the risk of heart disease, and lower inflammation.
But a new study from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) suggests that losing weight in middle age might not be as straightforward as it is for younger adults—and may even have unexpected effects on the brain.
In this study, scientists looked at two groups of mice: young adult mice and middle-aged mice. Both groups were fed a high-fat diet to make them obese. Then, researchers helped the mice lose weight through a healthier diet.
The good news was that both young and mid-aged mice showed better blood sugar levels after losing weight. This means the body’s ability to handle sugar improved with weight loss, no matter the age.
However, something surprising happened in the brains of the middle-aged mice. After they lost weight, these mice showed higher levels of inflammation in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus.
This part of the brain is important because it helps control hunger, energy use, body temperature, and other key functions. This brain inflammation lasted for weeks before it slowly went away.
The researchers studied this inflammation by looking at changes in microglia, which are immune cells in the brain. These cells are part of the brain’s defense system, but too much activation can lead to problems. Long-term inflammation in the brain has been linked to diseases like Alzheimer’s and other forms of memory loss.
Even though the inflammation might be a normal part of the body’s response to weight changes, scientists say we need to be careful. Just because weight loss helps the body in many ways doesn’t mean it always helps the brain—especially in older adults.
Alon Zemer, a medical student and one of the main authors, explained that weight loss in midlife is not just a repeat of what happens in younger people. It still helps with metabolic health, but it might come with new risks for brain health.
Dr. Alexandra Tsitrina added that the team used powerful microscopes and computer analysis to look closely at brain changes, both in structure and chemistry.
This study doesn’t mean people in midlife shouldn’t try to lose weight. In fact, controlling weight is still very important for preventing diabetes, heart disease, and many other problems.
But it does show that more research is needed to fully understand how weight loss affects the brain in older adults. Scientists hope future studies will find ways to keep the benefits of weight loss while also protecting the brain.
The study, titled “Weight loss aggravates obesity-induced hypothalamic inflammation in mid-aged mice,” was published in the journal GeroScience.
If you care about weight loss, please read studies about orange that could help obesity, and a berry that can prevent cancer, diabetes and obesity.
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