Can eating less help old rats feel better after a junk food diet?
Calorie restriction mitigates metabolic, behavioral and neurochemical effects of cafeteria diet in aged male rats.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Anxiety-like behaviors from junk food were reversed with calorie restriction, even without returning to a normal diet.
It was previously unclear whether neurological effects of obesity in aging could be reversed quickly. This shows behavioral improvements in just 5 weeks, suggesting the brain-gut connection is highly responsive to calorie intake.
Practical Takeaways
Consider short-term, moderate calorie reduction after periods of unhealthy eating to support metabolic and mental health.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Anxiety-like behaviors from junk food were reversed with calorie restriction, even without returning to a normal diet.
It was previously unclear whether neurological effects of obesity in aging could be reversed quickly. This shows behavioral improvements in just 5 weeks, suggesting the brain-gut connection is highly responsive to calorie intake.
Practical Takeaways
Consider short-term, moderate calorie reduction after periods of unhealthy eating to support metabolic and mental health.
Publication
Journal
The Journal of nutritional biochemistry
Year
2023
Authors
Jeferson Jantsch, F. Rodrigues, Gabriel de Farias Fraga, Sarah Eller, A. K. Silveira, J. Moreira, Márcia Giovernardi, R. P. Guedes
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Claims (4)
Eating fewer calories might help your body handle a not-so-great diet better by boosting its ability to stay healthy metabolically.
Older male rats that ate junk food like cookies and sausages for 7 weeks had unhealthy changes in their gut bacteria and signs their gut was leaking toxins into their blood.
Older male rats that were overweight from eating a junk-food-like diet seemed less anxious after cutting their food intake by 30% for five weeks.
Older male rats that had eaten a fattening diet did better with blood sugar and gained less weight when they ate 30% fewer calories for five weeks — showing that cutting calories can still help, even after bad eating habits.