Introducing the brain: intermittent fasting has brain effect (Introduction)

by David Turell , Saturday, December 30, 2023, 19:06 (119 days ago) @ David Turell

Gut and brain change with weight loss:

https://www.sciencealert.com/intermittent-fasting-seems-to-result-in-dynamic-changes-to...

"Researchers from China studied 25 volunteers classed as obese over a period of 62 days, during which they took part in an intermittent energy restriction (IER) program – a regime that involves careful control of calorie intake and fasting on some days.

"Not only did the participants in the study lose weight – 7.6 kilograms (16.8 pounds) or 7.8 percent of their body weight on average – there was also evidence of shifts in the activity of obesity-related regions of the brain, and in the make-up of gut bacteria.

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"'The observed changes in the gut microbiome and in the activity in addiction-related brain regions during and after weight loss are highly dynamic and coupled over time."

"Right now it's not clear what causes these changes, or whether the gut is influencing the brain or vice versa. However, we do know that the gut and the brain are closely linked, so treating certain regions of the brain could be a way to control food intake.

"The changes in brain activity, spotted via functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans, were in regions known to be important in the regulation of appetite and addiction – including the inferior frontal orbital gyrus.

"What's more, the gut microbiome changes, analyzed via stool samples and blood measurements, were linked to particular brain regions.

"For example, the bacteria Coprococcus comes and Eubacterium hallii were negatively associated with activity in the left inferior frontal orbital gyrus, an area involved in executive function, including our willpower when it comes to food intake.

"'The gut microbiome is thought to communicate with the brain in a complex, two-directional way," says medical scientist Xiaoning Wang from the State Clinic Center for Geriatrics in China. (my bold)

"'The microbiome produces neurotransmitters and neurotoxins which access the brain through nerves and the blood circulation. In return the brain controls eating behavior, while nutrients from our diet change the composition of the gut microbiome.'"

Comment: the brain-gut commutativity is obvious, even if we do not yet know all the working parts. Those pesky bacteria are really necessary, even when criticized in a theodicy discussion.