On the face of things, we are told to be careful of our diet in order to avoid getting metabolic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes. Obesity is the indicator of things that can go wrong in our body.
We correlate obesity with images of decadent desserts made with oodles of butter and cream and sugar. There are other images of juicy burgers with abundant amounts of cheese and French fries. All of this translates in simple terms to FAT. And in biochemical terms FAT translates to LIPIDS in the body.
But have you ever wondered how obesity is connected to metabolic conditions in technical terms within the body? What exactly happens once we gobble our fatty food?
We know that a swelling in any part of the body is due to internal inflammation. The process of inflammation involves a host of cells trying to tackle the cause of infection or injury. The whole attempt of inflammation is to eventually bring back order to the body creating the normal state.
Now, diabetes is a condition that involves inflammation. Obesity is a persistent condition that involves inflammation within the body. Inflammation triggered in the fat tissue and the brain creates a resistance to insulin. Inflammation within the pancreas eventually translates to insulin resistance and hence diabetes.
Inflammation affects the synthesis of fatty acids. The protein involved in fatty acid synthesis is the fatty acid synthase or FAS. Now, scientists have found that if you can target this protein and halt inflammation, you may be able to arrest the development or the progression of diabetes.
To prove this point, the scientists at Washington University School of Medicine performed experiments with mice that were genetically altered so that the FAS protein was inactivated. These mice could not synthesize fatty acids in the inflammatory cells called macrophages. These genetically altered mice were found to handle high fat diets without the consequence of insulin resistance or the development of diabetes.
The basic explanation for this is that the membranes of cells in our body contain lipids. When they come in contact with high fat diets, these lipids induce the increase in macrophages or inflammatory cells. The presence of inflammation triggers resistance to insulin.
The activation of FAS influences the composition of lipids in the membranes of cells. Inactivation of FAS disrupts the composition of these membrane lipids and so the activation of inflammation and insulin resistance is also inhibited.
These findings correlate with similar studies that have been conducted in tumors. The role of FAS in tumors has been identified where inhibiting FAS can prevent the growth of tumors. (Go to doi:10.1038/nrc.2016.99)
The results of the study by scientists at Washington University School of Medicine have been published in Nature.
There are drugs that are being used in clinical trials where they inhibit FAS and hence the inflammation pathway in the body. The effects of these drugs may help counter diabetes and other conditions, such as cancer.
So now we know what happens to that decadent fat that we consume. It’s a whole different world out there in our body. The more aware we become of the consequences of our actions, the better ways in which we will be able to manage and regulate our lives.
This does not mean you have to give up fat altogether but practicing moderation is the key, and regular monitoring of your diet will go a long way in keeping those inflammation predators at bay!
