We are living longer than in the last century, but many new diseases have also entered in our lives. People’s body mass indexes have increased, neurodegenerative diseases, cognitive dysfunction, and cancer rates have increased. Don’t you think that increased disease rates and a more dissatisfied, unhappy human profile have emerged? I wondered if the increased deterioration seen in our brain functions has a common point or does it occur randomly in some people? and I realized that I am not the only one asking this question 🙂
In recent years, we have begun to better understand the relationship between insulin resistance, obesity, dopamine, and the hippocampus. These four factors are closely interconnected and can lead to a number of neurological and metabolic disorders.
Let’s start with the relationship between Insulin Resistance and Obesity. Insulin resistance is the decrease in the ability of body cells to respond to insulin, in other words, a kind of insensitivity. This causes the pancreas to produce more insulin,
but over time this excess becomes ineffective and blood sugar levels rise. These rising sugar levels cause the body to store this energy as fat with a primitive consciousness and result in weight gain. In other words, insulin resistance is often closely associated
with obesity. Obesity is characterized by the accumulation of fat, especially in the abdominal area, and this fat tissue triggers a series of biochemical processes that contribute to the development of insulin resistance. A vicious cycle occurs.
Let’s come to the hippocampus; the hippocampus is a region in the brain responsible
for functions such as memory and learning. Recent studies have shown that insulin
resistance and obesity have effects on the hippocampus.According to these studies,
insulin resistance can cause signal transmission in the hippocampus to deteriorate.
This can affect the balance of neurotransmitters (especially glutamate and GABA) and reduce the neuroplasticity of the hippocampus, that is, the ability to form new synaptic connections.As a result, memory and learning capacity are negatively affected and it has been shown that this situation can lead to cognitive impairment.
Obesity-related inflammation leads to increased cytokines (molecules that cause
inflammation) in the brain, which can damage nerve cells. Additionally, obesity has
been shown to increase amyloid-beta accumulation (a type of deformed protein)
in the hippocampus, which increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore,
managing insulin resistance and obesity is critical not only for metabolic health but
also for brain health.
The relationship between insulin and dopamine is also a complex interaction that has begun to be better understood with research in recent years. Insulin plays an important role not only in glucose metabolism but also in brain functions and interacts
with the dopamine system in various ways. Insulin receptors are found in the brain, especially in dopamine-rich areas. Insulin regulates signal transmission and energy metabolism in brain cells through these receptors.The presence of insulin in the brain supports the communication of nerve cells with each other and general brain functions.
Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter in the brain that plays a role in processes
such as the reward system, motivation, mood, and motor control. The relationship between insulin and dopamine occurs in several main ways: Insulin affects the dopaminergic pathways that regulate eating behavior. Especially when high-sugar foods are consumed, insulin levels rise, which increases dopamine release and creates a sense of reward. However, constant high insulin and high sugar intake can lead to adaptation of the dopamine system and a decrease in dopamine release over time, which can lead to a decrease in the feeling of “reward” and behaviors such as food addiction. In other words, insulin resistance is often associated with obesity, and obese individuals experience impaired dopamine system functioning due to insulin resistance.
In the case of insulin resistance, dopamine receptors also become less sensitive,
which negatively affects the functioning of the reward system. This can lead to
a disruption of the reward mechanism in the individual, loss of motivation, and
potentially depression-like symptoms. So, insulin resistance, which we think of as the cause of diabetes, is also the source of our depression, isn’t it interesting?
Insulin resistance can affect not only eating behaviors but also cognitive functions and emotional health due to these disruptions in the dopamine system. For example, imbalances in the dopamine system can lead to mood disorders such as anhedonia (inability to experience pleasure), depression, and anxiety. In addition, since dopamine also plays an important role in learning and memory processes, insulin resistance
causes disruptions in these areas. Therefore, supporting the healthy functioning of the insulin and dopamine systems is important for both physical and mental health. To summarize, the high sugar in the food we eat makes us feel pleasure and when this situation continues, it creates a vicious cycle and increases our sugar level.
Then, if the process that continues with the increase in our insulin level is not stopped, it triggers disease processes that affect our lives in the order of insulin resistance -obesity -depression-dementia.
So, do not let your blood sugar stay high, do not let both your health and pleasure be
spoiled…
