According to the proverb, you are what you eat. But this applies not only to the body. According to the study, living in a disadvantaged area can affect food choices, weight gain and even the microstructure of the brain.
Research shows that low quality of available food, increased caloric intake from foods high in trans fatty acids, and an environment that is not conducive to physical activity (all common in disadvantaged areas) impair information processing flexibility in the brain, which is involved in reward, regulation emotions and cognition.
Previous studies have shown that living in a disadvantaged neighborhood can affect brain health, but in this study, researchers conducted a detailed analysis of the cerebral cortex to determine how living in a disadvantaged neighborhood can change certain areas of the brain who play different roles.
“The scientists found that neighborhood disadvantage was associated with differences in the fine structure of the cerebral cortex. Some of these differences were associated with higher body mass index and were correlated with high intake of trans fatty acids found in fried fast foods. The results show that areas of the brain responsible for reward, emotions, and the acquisition of knowledge and understanding may be affected by aspects of a dysfunctional environment that contribute to obesity,” says nutritionist Nikita Kotelnitsky exclusively for MedicForum.
Disadvantaged region and obesity
The results suggest that brain regions involved in reward, emotion, and the acquisition of knowledge and understanding may be affected by aspects ofenvironmental disadvantage that contribute to obesity. This highlights the importance of addressing nutritional quality in disadvantaged areas to protect brain health.
The disadvantage of an area is determined by a combination of factors such as low average income, low level of education, overcrowding and lack of adequate plumbing. This study included 92 participants—27 men and 65 women. Demographic and body mass index information was collected.
“Earlier research has shown that people living in deprived areas are at higher risk of obesity due to the poor quality of available food, increased caloric intake from food high in trans fatty acids and an environment that is not conducive to physical activity.”
In this study, researchers focused on the relationship between ADI and neuroimaging findings at four levels of the cerebral cortex to further explore the links between environmental adversity and brain structure. Participants underwent two types of MRI scans that, when analyzed together, provide insight into the structure, signaling and function of the brain.
Taken together, the results suggest that factors common in deprived areas that contribute to poor diet and unhealthy weight gain. interfere with the flexibility of information processing associated with reward, emotion regulation and cognition.
MedicForum previously wrote about the healthiest cereals.
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