A recent scientific study revealed that the abdominal fatusually linked to chronic ailments, has properties that help the body fight infections.
The excess of adipose tissue in the belly and in internal organs, known as visceral fat, it is traditionally associated with type 2 diabetes, heart disease, some types of cancer, stroke and hypertension.
However, researchers from Instituto Karolinska in Sweden suggested that «abdominal fat is not a uniform problem» and that certain types of fat may be beneficial.
«Fat tissue not only stores energy; it also functions as an active organ that sends signals that affect the entire body,» he said. Jiawei Zhongmain author of the research.
Zhong explained that there is a common misconception that abdominal fat is homogeneous, when in fact it is It is made up of several deposits different with specific functions in the body.
Abdominal fat: more than just a store of energy
The research, published in the journal Cell Metabolismanalyzed samples of five different types of abdominal fat in eight individuals with severe obesity. The experts collected tissue from under the skin, near the stomach and from areas close to the intestine.
The results show clear differences between these types of deposits, with particularly striking findings in omental fatty tissue. This area, located along the colon, contains an unusually high number of inflammatory fat cells and immune cells.
Laboratory experiments indicated that bacterial signals cause fat cells produce proteins. These molecules have the function of activating immune cells within the tissue to fight possible infections.
Scientists believe that adipose tissue near the intestine has a unique function. This feature could represent an adaptation to the gut microbiome, which is the ecosystem of microbes that inhabit the intestines of humans.
Jutta Jalkanenco-author of the study, stated that the next step of the research is to understand the role of colon fat in inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis. «We want to investigate how their interaction influences disease activity,» he said.
The team’s goal is to determine whether this fatty tissue contributes to the amplification or maintenance of inflammation through signals that impact local immune cells.
Because the study was conducted in obese individuals, it is not yet certain whether these findings apply to people of normal weight.. However, evidence suggests that not all fat is harmful to health and that extra weight in the stomach could play a vital role in combating inflammation.
Other previous research also supports the idea that fat is not always a negative factor. A Danish study of more than 85,000 adults suggested that being slightly overweight may not shorten life, while being extremely thin does increase the risk of premature death almost three times compared to the healthy range.
