As everyone starts writing down their New Year's resolutions, dieting is once again at the top of the list. Yet, even though belly fat is constantly demonized and stigmatized by societal pressures, it plays a role in brain health. Besides being a comfortable cushion for your partner and providing excellent protection for your organs, your soft, round belly actually protects your brain.
Abdominal fat, which is good for the brain
As the new year dawns, it's time for reflection and making wise promises. You solemnly swear to exercise more, read more books, join a charity, and tackle all the challenges on your teenage to-do list (the ones you keep putting off). Like 20% of people, you might want to lose two or three jeans sizes and conform to the standards. Yet, that belly fat, which causes you so much distress in front of the mirror and which the media condemns in passing, can actually be useful and beneficial to your brain.
Besides acting as a living bulletproof vest and allowing for more cuddles, your belly fat contains a precious ingredient. Researchers at Toho University in Japan have been studying a key protein for our intelligence: BDNF. Behind this somewhat intimidating name lies a true conductor of the brain. BDNF helps brain cells develop, survive, and communicate effectively with each other. It is essential for memory, learning, and even mood regulation. The problem is that BDNF levels naturally decline with age. The result: less sharp memory, more difficulty concentrating, and sometimes increased emotional vulnerability.
When visceral fat becomes protective
This is where the surprise comes in. The study shows that visceral fat produces a protein called CX3CL1. This molecule plays a direct role in maintaining healthy BDNF levels. In other words, a certain amount of abdominal fat helps the brain function properly.
In young mice, this fat produced high levels of CX3CL1, which supported excellent cognitive function. In older mice, this production decreased sharply, mirroring what is observed in humans with brain aging. Even more surprisingly, when researchers artificially increased this protein in older mice, their BDNF levels improved.
Why “thinner” doesn’t mean “smarter”
In addition to reinforcing your self-image, this study challenges long-held beliefs about curvy bodies. In the collective imagination, belly fat is inevitably associated with cholesterol, heart problems, and other health issues. For many, it's an indicator of neglect, the visible proof of declining health. And this study, while acknowledging the negative aspects of excess fat, also highlights its benefits.
The idea is not to promote obesity, but simply to see beyond appearances and better understand how the body works. It's all about balance, not extreme control or total abandonment of dietary habits.
A body-positive… and scientific message
This study reminds us that the body is not simply an aesthetic object, but an intelligent, complex, and adaptive system. Fat is not a moral failing, a personal failure, or even an aesthetic aberration. It fulfills specific, sometimes vital, biological functions.
This discovery encourages us to make peace with our bellies, often a source of insecurity , and to better appreciate the epicurean moments of winter. These few square centimeters of fat, which the fashion industry stigmatizes at every show and which the media tries to banish from January 1st onwards, are not "too much." They fulfill an invisible but very real purpose. It's not about glorifying excess, but about understanding that health isn't measured solely by waist size. From the moment the body
In short, your intelligence isn't measured by the scales. And sometimes, that little belly you're eyeing so harshly is working silently... for your brain.
