We all know that a shredded six-pack can do wonders for our physical appearance, but new research suggests that reducing belly fat can actually slow brain aging, meaning that a lean torso could be great for our mental health too. Still, simply relying on GLP-1 style drugs like Ozempic could be detrimental. Here’s what you need to know. Results released by the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) show that those physiques that are made of higher muscle mass and relatively low visceral fat enjoy a younger brain age. Visceral fat is the adipose tissue stored around the organs and deep inside the abdomen. Conversely, subcutaneous fat, stored more locally under the skin, had no significant effect on brain age say the scientists.
“Healthier bodies with more muscle mass and less hidden belly fat are more likely to have healthier, youthful brains,” explained the breakthrough study’s senior author, Cyrus Raji, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. “Better brain health, in turn, lowers the risk for future brain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s.” These findings are now due to be presented during the RSNA’s annual meeting.
Keeping a youthful brain age is important for us all and can be measured by a structural MRI brain scan. An older brain age is often associated with negative outcomes like frailty, and a greater risk of contracting Alzheimer’s disease, so staying in shape may be great for your appearance on the outside, but losing excess bodyfat could also protect you greatly from the inside.
How was the study carried out?
1,164 healthy individuals with an average age of 55 years were scanned using MRI and T1-weighted sequences (a process to help visualize fat) to compare their brain health with body composition. An artificial intelligence program then crunched the stats so find a pattern between visceral fat and brain age.
What were the results?
“The participants with more muscle tended to have younger-looking brains, while those with more hidden belly fat relative to their muscle had older-looking brains,” explained Dr. Raji. “The fat just under the skin wasn’t related to brain aging. In short, more muscle and a lower visceral fat to muscle ratio were linked to a younger brain.”
This information is all the more important as people turn towards GLP-1 style weight loss drugs such as Ozempic. While these medications have been shown to lower body fat, they often result in reduced muscle mass if the individual fails to exercise. “Losing fat—especially visceral fat—while preserving muscle volume would have the best benefit on brain aging and brain health based on insights from our work,” concluded Dr. Raji. “Thus, our study can inform future treatments by promoting research that quantifies MRI of body fat, muscle and brain age, which can help determine the optimal dosing regimens for GLP-1s to achieve the best outcomes in body and brain health.”
