{
  "id": 11200828,
  "title": "Losing deep belly fat may slow brain aging and protect memory",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/losing-deep-belly-fat-may-slow-brain-aging-and-protect-memory",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-01T13:00:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "PsyPost",
    "slug": "psypost",
    "url": "https://www.psypost.org/losing-deep-belly-fat-may-slow-brain-aging-and-protect-memory/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A new study published in Nature Communications indicates that losing visceral fat, rather than just overall weight, may slow brain aging and improve cognitive function. Visceral fat, which wraps around internal organs, is more metabolically active than subcutaneous fat that sits beneath the skin and is more visible. Previous research linked high visceral fat to cognitive decline, but it was unclear if actively losing this specific fat type could protect the brain over time.\n\nThe researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel analyzed long-term data from four earlier dietary and lifestyle trials involving 533 adults. These participants, mostly male in their early sixties, underwent brain imaging and cognitive assessments. They found that individuals with lower visceral fat scored higher on cognitive tests, with the link being most pronounced in those with better-preserved brain structures. Body mass index (BMI), a measure of weight relative to height, did not show the same relationship with cognitive performance or brain structure.\n\nThe team then examined a subset of 295 participants with abdominal fat data at three time points - the start of the trial, 18 months in, and a final follow-up several years later. They found that long-term exposure to high visceral fat predicted lower cognitive test scores, while cumulative exposure to subcutaneous fat did not. This suggests that visceral fat poses unique metabolic risks compared to subcutaneous fat.\n\nFurthermore, the researchers discovered that greater reduction in visceral fat during the trial predicted higher total brain volume and gray matter volume at the long-term follow-up. Gray matter contains most of the brain's neuronal cell bodies and is crucial for processing sensory information, muscle control, and decision-making. Reductions in visceral fat were also associated with a healthier hippocampus, a brain region central to learning and memory.\n\nThe study also revealed that people with higher long-term visceral fat exposure experienced faster brain atrophy and ventricular enlargement. Baseline levels of fasting blood sugar and a marker of long-term blood sugar control were the only metabolic factors linked to these long-term brain changes, suggesting that visceral fat's impact on the brain may involve disruptions in blood sugar regulation and insulin sensitivity. However, the study had some limitations, such as a predominantly male, overweight participant population and an observational design, which means it couldn't definitively prove cause and effect.",
  "summary": "Losing deep belly fat rather than just overall body weight is linked to slower brain aging and better memory years later. New research suggests targeting visceral fat might protect cognitive function by improving long-term blood sugar control.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}