(ANN/THE STATESMAN) – A recent study has provided fascinating new perspectives on the roots of type 2 diabetes and obesity, along with the brain’s role as an essential control hub.
The hormone insulin plays a key role in the development of obesity. Until fairly recently, there have been many indications suggesting that insulin leads to neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases, particularly in the brain.
The latest study by the University Hospital of Tubingen, the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), and Helmholtz Munich now offers new insights.
Unhealthy body fat distribution and chronic weight gain are associated with how sensitive the brain is to insulin. What specific roles does insulin play in the brain, and what impact does it have on people with normal weight?
In their study, published in the journal Nature Metabolism, Professor Dr. Stephanie Kullmann and her colleagues at the Tubingen University Hospital for Diabetology, Endocrinology, and Nephrology found the answer to this query.
“Our findings demonstrate for the first time that even a brief consumption of highly processed, unhealthy foods (such as chocolate bars and potato chips) causes a significant alteration in the brain of healthy individuals, which may be the initial cause of obesity and type 2 diabetes,” Kullmann explained.
When functioning properly, insulin reduces appetite in the brain.
However, in individuals with obesity specifically, insulin fails to effectively manage eating behaviour, leading to insulin resistance.
In the healthy study participants, the brain exhibits a comparable reduction in insulin sensitivity after a short-term high calorie consumption, similar to individuals with obesity.
This effect can even be observed one week after returning to a balanced diet, said researchers.
Professor Dr. Andreas Birkenfeld, the study’s final author, said, “We assume that the brain’s insulin response adapts to short-term changes in diet before any weight gain occurs and thus promotes the development of obesity and other secondary diseases.”
He urged more research on how the brain contributes to the development of obesity and other metabolic illnesses in light of the current findings.
