How could diet affect brain health?
Last Updated: Jun 6, 2023
Since the stress response has a wide range of effects on the human body, it is possible this action is where ashwagandha’s reputation for being a ‘cure all’ originated. There is increasing support for the use of ashwagandha in the context of health states that are typically affected by a chronic stress response.
The brain is the body's command center, controlling functions like movement and cognition, which includes problem-solving, memory, and information processing. Maintaining brain health usually involves preventing the development of neurologic conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, brain injury, and Parkinson’s disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines brain health as “a state in which every individual can realize their own abilities and optimize their cognitive, emotional, psychological, and behavioral functioning to cope with life situations.”
Several drugs are currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat overweight and obesity. These include orlistat (trade names Xenical/Alli), phentermine-topiramate (trade name Qsymia), naltrexone-bupropion (trade name Contrave), liraglutide (trade name Saxenda), semaglutide (trade names Wegovy/Ozempic), and terzepatide (trade name Mounjaro).
Typically, weight-loss drugs are only prescribed to adults with obesity (BMI of 30 or greater) or who have a BMI of 27 or greater [23] and other weight-related comorbidities like hypertension (high blood pressure) or type 2 diabetes. A drug called setmelanotide (trade name Imcivree) is also approved for weight loss, but its use is limited to people with one of three rare genetic disorders.[30]