As people grow older, many worry about memory loss and diseases such as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists around the world are searching for ways to slow brain aging and help people stay mentally sharp for longer.
A new study now suggests that one important clue may be hiding deep inside the abdomen.
Researchers have found strong evidence that visceral fat, the deep fat stored around internal organs, may speed up brain aging and increase brain shrinkage over time.
The findings come from a major long-term MRI study published in Nature Communications.
The research was carried out by scientists from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev together with researchers from Harvard University, Leipzig University, and Tulane University.
For many years, doctors have known that obesity increases the risk of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. However, scientists are increasingly realizing that not all body fat behaves in the same way.
Fat stored just under the skin may be less harmful than visceral fat hidden deep inside the abdomen. Visceral fat surrounds important organs such as the liver and intestines and is linked to serious metabolic problems.
This type of fat is especially connected to insulin resistance, poor blood sugar control, and chronic metabolic stress.
Researchers wanted to understand whether visceral fat could also affect the brain during aging.
To investigate this question, the team followed 533 adults in late midlife over periods ranging from five to sixteen years.
Participants had originally joined several large dietary clinical trials, including DIRECT, CENTRAL, CASCADE, and DIRECT-PLUS.
Throughout the study, participants underwent repeated MRI scans of both the brain and abdomen. Researchers measured visceral fat levels, brain volume, and changes in brain structure over time.
The participants also completed cognitive testing using the MoCA test, which measures memory, concentration, language, and problem-solving ability.
The results showed a clear pattern.
People who accumulated less visceral fat over time generally maintained healthier brain structures and performed better on cognitive tests.
Researchers found better preservation of total brain volume and gray matter among people with lower visceral fat levels.
Gray matter is important because it contains many of the brain cells responsible for thinking, memory, emotions, and decision-making.
The study also found better preservation of the hippocampus, a key brain area involved in memory formation and learning.
The hippocampus is especially important because it is often damaged early in Alzheimer’s disease.
At the same time, researchers observed slower enlargement of the brain ventricles in people with lower visceral fat levels. Enlarged ventricles are considered a major sign of brain atrophy, which refers to shrinking brain tissue during aging.
One particularly important discovery was that these brain changes were linked specifically to visceral fat rather than overall body weight.
Body mass index, or BMI, did not show the same strong relationship with brain aging.
Researchers also found that fat stored under the skin was not strongly linked to worsening brain health.
This suggests that deep abdominal fat may have unique biological effects that are especially harmful to the brain.
The study also identified blood sugar control as a key factor connecting visceral fat and brain decline.
Fasting glucose levels and HbA1c, which measures long-term blood sugar control, were the strongest predictors of structural brain changes.
Scientists believe insulin resistance and poor glucose control may damage blood vessels in the brain, reduce blood flow, and weaken the blood-brain barrier that normally protects brain tissue.
These changes may gradually speed up loss of brain cells and memory decline.
Interestingly, common inflammation markers and cholesterol levels did not predict brain changes as strongly as blood sugar measures.
Another encouraging finding involved lifestyle changes.
Participants who reduced visceral fat during an 18-month dietary intervention later showed healthier brain structures even five to ten years afterward.
Importantly, these benefits remained even after researchers adjusted for total weight loss.
This means reducing harmful abdominal fat itself may matter more than simply lowering body weight on a scale.
Professor Iris Shai, one of the study leaders, said the findings suggest that improving glucose control and reducing visceral fat may become important targets for slowing brain aging and reducing future dementia risk.
Researchers believe the study is especially valuable because it tracked people over many years using repeated MRI scans rather than relying only on short-term observations.
Still, scientists say more research is needed to understand exactly how visceral fat affects brain tissue and which treatments or diets may work best.
The findings do not prove that visceral fat directly causes dementia, but they strongly suggest it may play an important role in brain aging.
Overall, the study highlights a growing scientific understanding that metabolic health and brain health are deeply connected.
The research suggests that protecting memory and thinking ability during aging may depend not only on staying physically active and mentally engaged but also on reducing harmful deep abdominal fat and improving blood sugar control long before symptoms of memory loss appear.
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Source: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
