{"id":810032,"date":"2026-05-20T14:36:30","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T14:36:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/810032\/"},"modified":"2026-05-20T14:36:30","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T14:36:30","slug":"reducing-deep-stomach-fat-can-improve-your-brain-function-israeli-scientists-find","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/810032\/","title":{"rendered":"Reducing deep stomach fat can improve your brain function, Israeli scientists find"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a groundbreaking study, researchers from Ben-Gurion University of
the Negev, along with scientists from Leipzig University and Harvard University, have found that inner abdominal fat, rather than general obesity, can lead to brain atrophy and cognitive decline.<\/p>\n

The peer-reviewed findings represent the largest and longest MRI-based study to date on the link between belly fat and the brain.<\/p>\n

The study focuses on ectopic adipose tissue, the kind of body fat that wraps around organs in the stomach. This is different from subcutaneous fat, the kind that can be pinched under the skin.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe now understand that abdominal visceral fat is very dangerous,\u201d Dr.
Dafna Pachter, the lead author of the study, told The Times of Israel in a video call. She said this kind of fat is more crucial to the brain\u2019s health than body mass index or body weight.<\/p>\n

Dr. Iris Shai, a Ben-Gurion University professor, adjunct professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, and dean of the School of Sustainability at Reichman University, led the research, which was recently published in Nature Communications<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Pachter said the study followed 533 middle-aged and older adults for five to 16 years as they ate a Mediterranean-style diet rich in vegetables, fruit, fish, and chicken, with no red meat.<\/p>\n

The participants also consumed green tea, walnuts, and a tiny marine plant called Mankai, or duckweed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe research showed that a reduction in visceral fat, even for 18 months, could decrease brain atrophy five and 10 years later,\u201d Pachter said, regardless of how much weight the participants lost.<\/p>\n

She also emphasized that since MRI tests are not \u201croutinely available,\u201d measuring waist circumference is \u201ca simple and accessible clinical tool for assessing abdominal fat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tIllustrative: A man measures his belly. (Ljupco\/ iStock via Getty images)<\/p>\n

Lower visceral fat meant higher cognitive scores<\/p>\n

The study was begun in 2010 with a cohort of more than 500 participants who worked at the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center in Dimona.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a closed workplace,\u201d said Pachter. \u201cYou can be very strict with the food. We brought them their meals in the morning, the afternoon, and in the evening.\u201d<\/p>\n

The participants\u2019 healthy meals were enriched with Mankai, a nutrient-dense green found in the wild in Southeast Asia, and grown at Kibbutz Be\u2019eri. Israel is the only country in the world cultivating the food commercially. Shai<\/a> has acted as an adviser to the company marketing the product.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tIllustrative: A green shake, like the ones in the diet developed by Prof. Iris Shai. (id-art via iStock by Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Prachter said the researchers brought the participants for MRI testing, did blood tests, and gave them assessments on cognitive function.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was very difficult\u201d to do this work with more than 500 participants, she said. \u201cBut it was amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The scientists found that participants with the highest levels of internal abdominal fat showed an expansion of the brain\u2019s ventricles, the fluid-filled spaces within the brain, which is the hallmark of accelerated aging and a precursor to dementia.<\/p>\n

Lower accumulation of visceral fat over the years was also associated with higher scores on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, a standardized screening tool that evaluates memory, attention, and language to detect mild cognitive impairment and early dementia.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tDr. Amir Bashkin, director of the Endocrinology and Diabetes Unit, Galilee Medical Center. (Courtesy)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe study found that a decrease in the volume of deep abdominal adipose tissue led to a slowdown in the decline in brain volume and improved cognitive function,\u201d Dr. Amir Bashkin, director of the Endocrinology and Diabetes Unit at the Galilee Medical Center, told The Times of Israel.<\/p>\n

Bashkin was not involved with the research.<\/p>\n

\u201cCognitive decline in older age is a common problem with widespread consequences,\u201d he said. \u201cReducing the volume of deep abdominal adipose tissue through lifestyle changes is associated with a slowdown in cognitive deterioration.\u201d<\/p>\n

The importance of diet and exercise<\/p>\n

According to Pachter, a decrease in waist circumference can indicate a decrease in abdominal fat, including visceral fat measured in the study using MRI.<\/p>\n

She therefore recommended several lifestyle strategies that may help reduce visceral fat, including moderate aerobic exercise, reducing the intake of simple carbohydrates, and adopting a green Mediterranean diet.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tElderly people work out with wooden dumbbells on the grounds of a temple in Tokyo, Japan, on September 17, 2012, to celebrate Japan\u2019s Respect-for-the-Aged Day. (YOSHIKAZU TSUNO \/ AFP)<\/p>\n

A healthy waist circumference is generally under 35 inches (88 centimeters) for women and under 40 inches (102 centimeters) for men.<\/p>\n

Another suggestion is to do high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which
alternates short, maximum-effort bursts of exercise, from 30 seconds to
three minutes, with a low-intensity recovery period.<\/p>\n

Along with exercise, \u201cour liver will be better, our heart, everything will be better when we eat right,\u201d Pachter said. \u201cAnd that is the best way to protect our brain.\u201d<\/p>\n


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