A new study in mice has identified a possible link between prolonged high-fat diets, brain inflammation and depression-like behaviour. Researchers found that consuming a high-fat diet for at least 10 weeks disrupted gut microbiota and fatty acid balance, increasing levels of arachidonic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid linked to inflammation. This was associated with increased activation of inflammatory microglia in brain regions involved in mood and cognition. Notably, aspirin reduced the inflammatory response and reversed depression-like behaviours in the mice. However, the findings are preliminary and do not show that aspirin can treat depression in humans. Further research is needed to determine whether this pathway could lead to future therapies.
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