Brain Health Indicator; Muscle Fat Ratio

If If I ask, “Are you fit or not?”, you will probably answer using your weight as a scale. But wait… weight alone doesn’t tell the whole story of your health.

The true measure of fitness is what is the ratio of muscles and fat in your body? An amazing thing is that if this ratio remains balanced then it has a positive effect on brain health.

According to a study recently published in the ‘Journal of Alzheimer’s Association’, the muscle-fat ratio of our body is an indicator of brain health. If the ratio of muscle in the body is more than fat then brain functioning remains better.

so ‘News of need’ Let us understand what is muscle-fat ratio. You will also learn that-

Expert- Dr. Zubair Sarkar, Senior Consultant, Neurology, Apollo Spectra Hospital, Kanpur

Question- What is muscle-fat ratio?

answer- The body is mainly made up of muscles and fat. How good a person’s health is is determined by the ratio between them, i.e. what is the percentage of fat in the body and how much is muscle. The ratio between these is called ‘muscle-fat ratio’. It indicates body composition and metabolic health.

Question- What is the connection between muscle-fat ratio and brain?

answer- We usually think that the brain controls the body. That means the brain gives signals to the muscles and they work accordingly. This is also true, but the muscles of the body and their activity also send signals back to the brain.

For example, when we exercise, muscles release certain chemicals (such as myokines). These chemicals strengthen brain cells. This improves memory and also reduces the risk of cognitive decline (decline in brain functioning) with age.

Question: What does the recent study say about muscle-fat ratio?

answer- These main things have been revealed in this study published in ‘Journal of Alzheimer’s Association’-

Question- What is the difference between muscle-fat ratio and BMI (body mass index)?

answer- BMI (Body Mass Index) is a fitness index, which is calculated on the basis of body weight and height. This shows whether the person is in underweight, normal, overweight or obese category. But BMI does not tell whether the reason for body weight is muscle or fat.

Whereas muscle-fat ratio tells the actual ratio of muscles and fat present in the body. This is a more accurate measure of body composition.

Question: Why is muscle-fat ratio important for brain health?

answer- Muscle-fat ratio is directly related to the functioning of the brain.

In the graphic below, the benefits of a healthy muscle-fat ratio are explained in two parts.

Question- If there is more fat in the body and less muscles, then what harm does it do to the brain?

answer- It affects the brain in many ways –

Excess body fat, especially visceral fat, increases low-grade inflammation in the body. This inflammation can gradually affect the brain.

Insulin sensitivity decreases due to loss of muscles. This may cause fluctuations in blood sugar.

This has a negative impact on brain function in the long run.

In such a situation, the risk of memory loss, lack of focus and cognitive decline (weakness in brain functioning) may increase with age.

Question- Due to what reasons the muscle ratio in the body decreases?

answer- Low muscle ratio means that the muscles in the body are decreasing and the amount of fat is increasing. The reason for this is not just age, but lifestyle, hormonal changes, diseases and side effects of some medicines can also be the reason. In the graphic below, the possible causes of muscle loss are explained in different categories.

Question- Does increasing muscles slow down brain aging?

answer- It cannot be said directly that increasing muscles stops the speed of brain aging, but strong and active muscles definitely support brain health.

Muscles are active tissues. They release chemicals, such as myokines, which may help reduce inflammation and make connections between brain cells.

Question: Does a high-protein diet directly benefit brain health?

answer- When we eat protein, the body breaks it into smaller parts. These are called amino acids. These amino acids are used in making chemicals in the brain that send messages between brain cells. Because of these chemicals-

Question- How do we know that the fat ratio in our body is high?

answer- Some special signs and tests help in this-

Question- What should be our diet to keep the muscle-fat ratio balanced?

answer- A balanced diet is necessary to maintain a better muscle-fat ratio. The diet should contain high-quality proteins, healthy fats, plenty of fiber and complex carbohydrates. Let us understand from the graphic what the diet should be like-

Question: What should be our overall lifestyle to keep the muscle-fat ratio balanced?

answer- Let us understand all its important things from the pointers below-

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