Dietary fats can enter the brain through the bloodstream, and cause alterations that could lead to depression, according to a study that may pave the way for new therapies to treat the disorder.
The team also found that by decreasing the expression of a specific enzyme, symptoms of obesity-linked depression can be reduced.
Study shows that saturated fatty acids enter brain through the bloodstream, and thereafter accumulate and affect crucial brain signals related to depression.
Obesity and depression have long been linked, however the mechanisms of how obesity affects depression and vice versa have not been understood.