Ice Cream's Effect On The Brain

The researchers discovered that one particular type of fat, palmitic acid, is quite effective at inhibiting appetite suppression. Senior author, Dr. Deborah Clegg, said that in animals, the effect lasts about three days, potentially explaining why people who overeat during the weekend feel hungrier than normal on Monday. She has suspected the brain might be involved in insulin resistance because it incorporates some of the fat we eat – whether it be healthy oils or saturated fat – into its structure.

To investigate this suspicion, the research team attempted to isolate the effects of fat on the animals’ brains. Researchers accomplished this by exposing animals to fat in various ways: either by injecting fat into the brain, infusing fat through a carotid artery, or feeding animals through a stomach tube. The animals all received the same amount of calories and fat, with the type of fat differing.

The types of fat used included palmitic acid, monounsaturated fatty acid and oleic acid. Palmtitic acid is a common saturated fatty acid that is commonly found in foods such as butter, cheese, milk and beef. Oleic acid, however, is a common unsaturated fatty acid found in olive and grapeseed oil.

Dr. Clegg stated the findings; “We found that the palmitic acid specifically reduced the ability of leptin and insulin to activate their intracellular signaling cascades. The oleic fat did not do this. The action was very specific to palmitic acid, which is very high in foods that are rich in saturated-fat.”

Dr. Clegg concluded that even though the findings are in animals, they support the dietary recommendation for individuals to limit their intake of saturated fat. For her team, the next step is to determine how long it takes to reverse completely the effects of short-term exposure to high-fat food.