Belly fat, also known as visceral fat, may contribute to brain atrophy and early markers of Alzheimer’s disease, new research found.

Buildup of this visceral fat in middle age may boost levels of the two damaging brain proteins, called amyloid and tau, explained a team led by Dr. Mahsa Dolatshahi, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Actual symptoms of Alzheimer's disease may not arise until many years later.

New research has established a link between a specific type of body fat and brain proteins that are hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease.

People who are obese and harbor deep belly fat are at higher risk for developing Alzheimer's disease-specific proteins in the brain up to 20 years before the earliest dementia symptoms, a new study suggests.

Alzheimer’s disease could be detected up to 20 YEARS before dementia symptoms start to show following a major breakthrough. Researchers have linked a specific type of body fat that surrounds vital organs in middle age to abnormal proteins in the brain that are hallmarks of the most common cause of dementia as early as two decades before the earliest symptoms appear.

In a stunning revelation, researchers find that the fat surrounding our organs might hold the key to understanding Alzheimer's long before it strikes.