Bariatric Surgery Also Linked to Brain Benefits, Not Just Weight Loss

Exercise, a healthy diet and weight loss can expedite significant changes in the body that promote better health and overall well-being. Now, a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism shows that the brain can also reap the benefits of weight loss.

"When we studied obese women prior to bariatric surgery, we found some areas of their brains metabolized sugars at a higher rate than normal weight women," said study author Dr. Cintia Cercato, of the University of São Paolo in Brazil, in a news release. "In particular, obesity led to altered activity in a part of the brain linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease - the posterior cingulate gyrus. Since bariatric surgery reversed this activity, we suspect the procedure may contribute to a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia."

As previous studies have shown links between obesity and dementia, recent findings support past theories: weight-loss helps keep the brain sharp.

For their research, scientists examined the effects of a bariatric surgery known as Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery that involves closing up the stomach to the size of a small pouch. In a group of 17 obese women and 16 of healthy weight, researchers used positron emission tomography (PET) scans to assess brain function before and after the start of the study.

"Our findings suggest the brain is another organ that benefits from weight loss induced by surgery," Cercato concluded. "The increased brain activity the obese women exhibited before undergoing surgery did not result in improved cognitive performance, which suggests obesity may force the brain to work harder to achieve the same level of cognition."