Springer High Calorie Diet and the Human Brain: Metabolic Consequences of Long-Term Consumption

The purpose of this monograph is to present readers with a comprehensive and cutting edge description of neurochemical effects of diet (beneficial and harmful effects) in normal human brain and to discuss how present day diet promotes pathogenesis of stroke, AD, PD, and depression in a manner that is useful not only to students and teachers but also to researchers, dietitians, nutritionists and physicians. A diet in sufficient amount and appropriate macronutrients is essential for optimal health of human body tissues. In brain, over-nutrition, particularly with high-calorie diet, not only alters cellular homeostasis, but also results in changes in the intensity of signal transduction processes in reward centers of the brain resulting in food addiction. Over-nutrition produces detrimental effects on human health in general and brain health in particular because it chronically increases the systemic and brain inflammation and oxidative stress along with induction of insulin resistance and leptin resistance in the brain as well as visceral organs. Onset of chronic inflammation and oxidative stress not only leads to obesity and heart disease, but also promotes type II diabetes and metabolic syndrome, which are risk factors for both acute neural trauma (stroke) and chronic age-related neurodegenerative and neuropsychological disorders, such as Alzheimer disease (AD), Parkinson disease (PD) and depression. From the Back Cover This monograph presents readers with cutting edge and comprehensive information on the effect of long term consumption of a high calorie diet on visceral organs and brain. It is the first monograph to describe the effect of macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and protein), table salt, and fiber (high calorie diet) on neurochemical processes related inflammation and oxidative stress in the brain. It will be useful to postgraduate students, faculty, research scientists, nutritionists, and physicians, who are curious about alterations in signal transduction processes due to long term consumption of high calorie diet. Healthy diet is an important component of good health. Long term consumption of a high calorie diet promotes insulin resistance, obesity, type II diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. The later is an important risk factor for stroke, Alzheimer disease, and depression. In contrast, the long term consumption of Mediterranean Diet reduces the risk of obesity, type II diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. A healthy lifestyle―which includes a healthy diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, beans, fish, less red meat; moderate exercise for maintaining a healthy body weight; and optimal sleep may help in preventing not only diabetes, and metabolic syndrome, but delaying the pathogenesis of stroke, Alzheimer disease, and depression. About the Author Akhlaq A. Farooqui is a leader in the field of signal transduction processes, lipid mediators, phospholipases A2, glutamate neurotoxicity, phytochemicals and human health and neurological disorders. He has published cutting edge research on the role of phospholipases A2 in signal transduction processes, generation and identification of lipid mediators during neurodegeneration by lipidomics and has studied the involvement of glycerophospholipid, sphingolipid- and cholesterol-derived lipid mediators in kainic acid neurotoxicity, an experimental model of neurodegenerative diseases.