What is inflammation?

Inflammation is when aspects of a body's immune system reddens and swells as a response to infection and/or injury. This is the body's attempt to heal and protect.

Acute inflammation is immediately after an injury lasting from a few moments to a few days.

Chronic inflammation is an over-responsive immune reaction lasting years. Many diseases (IBS, arthritis, cancer, depression, heart disease) are now being linked to chronic inflammation.

Long term inflammation can be linked to "wear and tear" conditions as well as lifestyle habits (stress, weight, smoking, alcohol, poor diet). 

What is the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB)?

The BBB is a semi-permeable membrane (of glial cells) which protects the Central Nervous System (brain & spinal cord) from toxins and changes in blood composition.

The BBB can be broken down by high blood pressure, microwaves, hyperosmolitity, radiation, infection, trauma, inflammation, schema, and pressure.

BBB dysfunction can lead to neural damage. Diseases such as MS, encephalitis, stroke, or tumours can also damage the BBB.

The brain is metabolically one of the most active of all organs in the body. The brain does not store energy so it therefore needs a continuous supply of glucose and oxygen to meet it's energy requirements. 

Why is fat bad for the brain?

A high fat diet produces inflammation in the body, including in the brain.

Inflammation stimulates the microglia, which are part of the brains' immune system, and whose function is to destroy infection, by moving (staying active).

In obesity, these cells stop moving but eat brain synapses instead of the infectious bodies they are meant to destroy.  Functioning synapses are needed for learning which is a very important brain function.

On a mouse study, it was found that the effects of a high fat diet can be reversed in two weeks.

What are microglia?

Microglia is a type of glial cell which acts as the main form of immune defense in the central nervous system (brain and spine).

They make up between 10-15% of all brain cells, and are extremely sensitive; they are  supported by potassium.

These cells move about and "eat" plaque, damaged neurons, and infectious agents.

The blood-brain barrier prevents most infectious material from entering the brain, but if it does, microglia must act very quicky to decrease inflammation and destroy the infection.

Because the blood-brain barrier (BBB), prevents antibodies from crossing it, microglia do the job of fighting infection instead.

If inflammation increases instead of decreases, the microglia stop functioning effectively.