{"id":1451961,"date":"2022-04-24T08:44:46","date_gmt":"2022-04-24T12:44:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1451961"},"modified":"2022-04-24T08:44:49","modified_gmt":"2022-04-24T12:44:49","slug":"exercise-may-protect-brain-volume-by-keeping-insulin-and-bmi-levels-low","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exercise-may-protect-brain-volume-by-keeping-insulin-and-bmi-levels-low\/","title":{"rendered":"Exercise May Protect Brain Volume by Keeping Insulin and BMI Levels Low"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fexercise-may-protect-brain-volume-by-keeping-insulin-and-bmi-levels-low%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1451961&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div class=\"css-1u22pos\"><span><\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<figure class=\"css-yhe8zq\"><span class=\"css-rwmw5v\"><span class=\"css-mjp0j9\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1190px)\" \/><source media=\"(min-width: 990px)\" \/><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/post.medicalnewstoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/04\/Exercise_brain_GettyImages1238605245_Header-1024x575.jpg?w=1155&#038;h=1528\" alt=\"photo of young kids exercising against a wall seen from the profile\" class=\"css-1jytyml\" \/><\/span><a class=\"icon-hl-pinterest css-1ieaq17\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" data-event=\"Any Page|Image Pinterest Click|Icon Clicked\" data-element-event=\"OPEN|CONTENTBLOCK|Any Page|Article Body|BUTTON|Image Widget Pinterest Click|\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.medicalnewstoday.com%2Farticles%2Fexercise-may-protect-brain-health-by-lowering-cardiovascular-risk-factors&#038;media=https%3A%2F%2Fpost.medicalnewstoday.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F3%2F2022%2F04%2FExercise_brain_GettyImages1238605245_Header-1024x575.jpg&#038;description=Exercise%20may%20protect%20brain%20health%20by%20keeping%20insulin%2C%20BMI%20levels%20low\" title=\"Share on Pinterest\" data-pin-custom=\"true\" data-share-url=\"https:\/\/post.medicalnewstoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/04\/Exercise_brain_GettyImages1238605245_Header-1024x575.jpg\"><span class=\"css-8yl26h\">Share on Pinterest<\/span><\/a><\/span><figcaption class=\"css-1wtn3ae\">How does exercise protect brain health? New research sheds light. Suhaimi Abdullah\/NurPhoto via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Existing<\/strong> <strong>studies show that exercise helps protect brain cells through mechanisms that researchers do not yet fully understand.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Researchers know that exercise <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nia.nih.gov\/news\/moderate-physical-activity-linked-increases-metabolism-across-brain-regions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">increases<\/a> brain glucose metabolism, which correlates with improved brain function<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Studies show that<\/strong> <strong>exercise affects insulin resistance and has a complex relationship with body mass index (BMI) levels<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>A new study suggests that exercise plays a role in maintaining insulin and BMI levels, which may help stave off dementia by protecting gray matter volume in the brain. <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A new study investigates the mechanisms involved in the relationship between exercise and brain health. <\/p>\n<p><meta \/>Previous research had shown that larger gray matter volume can help protect against dementia by improving brain function.<meta \/><\/p>\n<p>The new study shows that insulin resistance and BMI mediate the relationship between larger and smaller brain gray matter volumes (the part of the brain involved in processing information).<\/p>\n<p>The research is published in the April 2022 online issue of <em><a href=\"https:\/\/n.neurology.org\/content\/early\/2022\/04\/13\/WNL.0000000000200270\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">Neurology<\/a><\/em>, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. <\/p>\n<p>The corresponding author of the study was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/g%C3%A9raldine-poisnel-4b346911\/?locale=en_US\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">Dr. Geraldine Poisnel<\/a>, of the Inserm Regional Research Center, in Caen, Normandy, France.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-0\"><span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The study involved 134 people with an average age of 69 who had no memory problems. The participants filled out a physical activity survey covering the past 12 months. They also had brain scans to measure <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3900881\/#:~:text=Glucose%20metabolism%20provides%20the%20fuel,as%20the%20generation%20of%20neurotransmitters.&#039;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">glucose metabolism<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S019745801300225X\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">brain volume.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The metabolism of glucose in the brain <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3900881\/#:~:text=Glucose%20metabolism%20provides%20the%20fuel,as%20the%20generation%20of%20neurotransmitters.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">provides<\/a> fuel for the brain by generating adenosine 5\u2032-triphosphate (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/scitable\/definition\/atp-318\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">ATP<\/a>) \u2014 a key molecule for maintaining the health of neurons and other cells. ATP is also key for generating neurotransmitters. Reduced glucose metabolism in the brain can be seen in people with dementia.<\/p>\n<p>Gray matter development peaks at age <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5444192\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">2\u20133<\/a> years. It begins to decrease afterward in some areas of the brain, but the density of the gray matter increases. From an evolutionary perspective, the higher processing ability of the human brain and its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplypsychology.org\/what-is-grey-matter-in-the-brain.html#:~:text=Throughout%20development%2C%20grey%20matter%20continues,further%20mental%20development%20of%20humans.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">development<\/a> are due to this increase in density.<\/p>\n<p>In some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3988920\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">studies<\/a>, larger total brain volume, estimated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), has a weak correlation with higher intelligence in men and a very weak correlation in women with the ability to do well in intelligence tests.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast, brain tissue deterioration and loss of volume is a significant contributor to lower cognitive ability later in life.<\/p>\n<p>In the new study, researchers included 134 people with an average age of 69 who had no memory problems. The participants filled out a physical activity survey covering the past 12 months. They also had brain scans to measure <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3900881\/#:~:text=Glucose%20metabolism%20provides%20the%20fuel,as%20the%20generation%20of%20neurotransmitters.&#039;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">glucose metabolism<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S019745801300225X\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">brain volume.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"css-zya54r\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-0\"><span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>In the new study, researchers gathered formation on cardiovascular risk factors including <a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamainternalmedicine\/article-abstract\/486400\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">BMI<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/29058131\/#:~:text=Many%20studies%20have%20implicated%20insulin,cardiovascular%20risk%20in%20this%20population.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">insulin <\/a>levels, as well as cholesterol, blood pressure, and other factors.<\/p>\n<p>The researchers examined the relationship between insulin and cardiovascular disease. The metabolic abnormalities that insulin causes raise the risk of cardiovascular complications, which in turn affect brain function.<\/p>\n<p>Researchers found that insulin and BMI levels did not affect the metabolism of glucose in the brain. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-0\"><span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The research demonstrated that the amount of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nia.nih.gov\/health\/what-happens-brain-alzheimers-disease\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">amyloid plaque <\/a>in the brain that contributes to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alz.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">Alzheimer\u2019s Disease<\/a> was not affected by exercise.<\/p>\n<p><em>Medical News Today<\/em> contacted <a href=\"https:\/\/profiles.ucsd.edu\/raeanne.moore\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">Dr. Raeanne Moore<\/a>, associate adjunct professor of psychiatry at UCSD in La Jolla, CA. <\/p>\n<p>Dr. Moore, who was not involved in the study, was asked about the study results. She shared with <em>MNT<\/em>:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis study adds to the growing body of research on the positive benefits of staying active on brain health, especially as we age.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201c[T]here is an urgent need to identify markers of cognitive decline,\u201d added Dr. Moore. \u201cDecreasing insulin levels and losing weight are modifiable factors that can be improved with a healthy diet and exercise.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She added, \u201cIt was not surprising that higher physical activity was not associated with how much amyloid plaque people had in their brains. There is growing evidence that vascular risk factors on cognitive function are mediated by the amount of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fnmol.2020.583755\/full\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">tau pathology<\/a> in the brain and not an amyloid burden.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"css-zya54r\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"css-0\"><span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>MNT <\/em>also spoke with <a href=\"https:\/\/sheldonzablowmd.com\/author\/dr-sheldon-zablow\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">Dr. Sheldon Zablow<\/a>, assistant professor of medicine at University of California San Diego Medical School in La Jolla, CA. Dr. Zablow shared his comments about this study:<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cExercise has often been called food for the brain with many studies showing the benefit of exercise for improving brain health and reducing the risk of dementia.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis current research study states that physical activity improves cognitive brain function by reducing BMI and improving insulin metabolism. Improvement in weight control can limit the rate of brain volume loss, a known risk factor for dementia.\u201d <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"css-34gtoi\"><p><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis study will help physicians reinforce the importance of regular exercise in reducing BMI as a low-cost means of limiting cognitive decline.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u2013 Dr. Zablow<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Dr. Moore\u2019s final remarks were, \u201cThe literature clearly demonstrates that cardiovascular risk factors are associated with cognitive decline and risk for Alzheimer\u2019s disease and related dementias.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStudies investigating subtle brain changes prior to the development of dementia are critical to optimizing brain health and staving off cognitive decline.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"css-0\"><span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201cStrengths of this study include a sample of cognitively normal older adults and the use of multimodal imaging methods to explore the role of CVD risk factors in the association between physical activity and neuroimaging <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3078627\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">biomarkers<\/a>,\u201d said Dr. Moore. <\/p>\n<p>\u201c[T]his methodology can move the field forward by helping to identify important markers of risk for cognitive decline.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA limitation to the study was the use of a self-report of physical activity [\u2026] which the authors acknowledged as a limitation. Self-report of physical activity is prone to retrospective recall bias, and objective tools to measure physical activity, such as fitness trackers, are more accurate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese findings that insulin and BMI fully mediated the relationship between physical activity and whole-brain gray matter volume \u2014 and specifically hippocampal gray<a href=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fnagi.2018.00235\/full\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\"> matter volume<\/a> \u2014 provide further evidence that targeting these modifiable <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/cardiovascular-disease\/#:~:text=Cardiovascular%20disease%20(CVD)%20is%20a,increased%20risk%20of%20blood%20clots.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"content-link css-1pg8eb5\">CVD<\/a> risk factors could improve brain health.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Share on PinterestHow does exercise protect brain health? 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Suhaimi Abdullah\/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesExisting studies show that exercise helps protect brain cells through mechanisms that researchers do<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":498,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1451961","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1451961","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/498"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1451961"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1451961\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1451961"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1451961"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1451961"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}