Maite Solas, researcher and professor at School of Pharmacy and Nutrition, has published a scientific article , together with group of research of high school Max Planck (Germany), which explains how the body, when faced with an excess of fat at per diem expenses , activates a protection mechanism of the brain to prevent a bad diet from damaging this vital organ.

According to the study, the result of the researcher's postdoc at the German center, just 72 hours after starting a per diem expenses with excess fat, the brain captures less glucose than it needs for normal functioning. "Then a set of processesbegins to be triggered that somehow sacrifice the rest of the body so that the inflammation associated with obesity affects the body but not the brain," says the lead researcher.

The importance of this work is increased, in the expert's opinion, because the research developed for more than 20 years has been focused on finding a solution to the so-called peripheral inflammation - the general inflammation of the organism caused by excess weight. However, this study shows that this process could be positive, as it is actually a protective mechanism to keep the functions of this vital organ safe: "As we have discovered, peripheral inflammation in obesity is necessary - a kind of lesser evil - to keep the brain safe, due to the importance of this organ".

Obesity and Alzheimer's disease

This finding, tested so far in murine model -in mice-, has allowed researchers to know how the GLUT1 protein, in the presence of a diet with excess fat, is no longer expressed in the barrier that separates the brain from the circulatory system, which is essential for the uptake of brain glucose. "This glucose is essential for the brain to function well and to avoid cognitive impairment. In fact, our research is of great interest in diseases such as Alzheimer's, since it follows that a person who synthesizes less VEGF protein would have weakened the brain's natural protection mechanism. This, moreover, coincides with the fact that obesity is a risk factor for developing this disease", emphasizes the Doctor of Pharmacy of the University of Navarra.

His work also confirmed that after three weeks the protective mechanism is in place and the brain once again receives the glucose it needs. The inflammatory effect in the rest of the body has also taken hold: "In our study, we subjected the mice to per diem expenses with 70% fat, which is almost impossible in humans. Nevertheless, it was useful for us to check the protective processes that are triggered." For humans, some programs of study seem to indicate that a change in per diem expenses and lifestyle patterns can help reverse the inflammation associated with obesity. "However, it is also already known that some vital organs can be seriously damaged after prolonged periods of inadequate dieting," concludes the researcher.