Losing weight and reducing BMI levels could lead to increased brain power, according to a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Having a high BMI has already been found to have significant impacts on the function of the brain, with one study suggesting that obesity can hamper cognitive ability, while others have shown how being overweight could contribute to the development of depression.

Scientists at the University of Sao Paolo in Brazil, who are behind this most recent piece of research, believe that it’s the first of its kind to measure what actually losing weight can do for brain function.

To conduct the study, the researchers recruited 17 severely obese women who planned to have a gastric bypass to shrink their stomachs in a bid to reduce calorie intake.

Before having the operation each participant was asked to take part in a number of brain function tests, which also determined IQ levels among the women, while blood samples were taken and scans conducted to measure metabolic activity in the brain.

After the operation, each woman was asked to repeat the same tests, with scientists finding that the women who had decreased their BMIs scored better on one of the six elements of the brain tests.

Brain scans also revealed that one section of the brain in the right hemisphere – an area that often becomes active when people have to compensate for cognitive decline – had become more efficient.

There were also increased levels of a hormone called GLP-1, which is similar to the hormones which help to reduce inflammation and other hallmarks of Alzheimer’s.

Further research has alluded to the benefits of being fit for the brains of younger people too, with activity levels being linked to improved academic performance in children.