MCTs exert aging and anti-aging effects on brain

Fairly recent study which investigates the Effect of two medium chain triglycerides-supplemented diets on synaptic morphology in the cerebellar cortex of late-adult rats.

This study was to investigate the consequences of MCTs on the aging brain, and so the rats used were late-adult (old) rats.
At 10%-20% of diet content, MCTs induced senescent effects. At 20%+ MCTs, no changes were detected.

aging
In MCT-fed rats, MCTs "accelerate aging in the stratum moleculare of CA1 (SM CA1)". Recall that the stratum moleculare (SM CA1) is located in the hippocampus, the area of the brain that determines long-term memory and spatial navigation.

anti-aging
"..."antiaging" in the outer molecular layer of dentate gyrus (OML DG).."
the dentate gyrus

• contributes to neurogenesis (new neurons) and the formation of new memories.
• may have functional role in managing stress & depression
• dentate gyrus growth is associated with aerobic exercise