Which Type of Abdominal Fat Promotes Inflammation, Increases Disease Risk?
In a study published in the journal Diabetes, researchers found that increased belly fat led to the production by fat cells of higher levels of inflammatory molecules that may directly promote systemic (whole body) inflammation. This increase in systemic inflammation may, in turn, raise the risk for several diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and cognitive decline.
There are two types of abdominal fat:
- Subcutaneous fat - found just beneath the surface of the skin (the fat you can “pinch”)
- Visceral fat - found in the spaces between internal organs
(Image: LA Times)
Visceral fat appears to be the primary source of the problem:
[T]he research team says visceral fat likely contributes to increases in systemic inflammation and insulin resistance. They sampled blood from the portal vein [which routes blood to the liver from the gastrointestinal tract] in obese patients undergoing gastric bypass surgery and found that visceral fat in the abdomen was secreting high levels of an important inflammatory molecule called interleukin-6 (IL-6) into portal vein blood.
“The portal vein is filled with blood that drains visceral fat,” says first author Luigi Fontana, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine at Washington University in St. Louis and an investigator at the Istituto Superiore di Sanita, Rome, Italy. “Portal vein blood had levels of IL-6 that were 50 percent higher than blood from the periphery.”
Increased IL-6 levels in the portal vein correlated with concentrations of an inflammatory substance called C-reactive protein (CRP) in the body. High CRP levels are related to inflammation, and chronic inflammation is associated with insulin resistance, hypertension, type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis, among other things …
… “Many years ago, atherosclerosis was thought to be related to lipids and to the excessive deposit of cholesterol in the arteries,” Fontana says. “Nowadays, it’s clear that atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease. There also is evidence that inflammation plays a role in cancer, and there is even evidence that it plays a role in aging. Someday we may learn that visceral fat is involved in those things, too.”
Evidence Building
This latest study is one of many to highlight the influence of excess fat on systemic inflammation and disease risk. Here are links to a few other studies:
Adipose Tissue, Inflammation, and Cardiovascular Disease
Obesity in middle age and future risk of dementia: a 27 year longitudinal population based study.
Bottom Line
Visceral fat cells are potent sources of inflammatory molecules that can increase the risk for several major chronic diseases. There’s a significant body of research that suggests an “apple” shape (excess visceral abdominal fat, waist circumference) puts one at greater risk for disease (heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, etc.) than a “pear” shape (excess hip weight).
Clearly, people need to try to reduce abdominal fat levels and waist circumference to the normal range to avoid promoting excessive inflammation levels in the body.
There may be several different underlying causes for being overweight. Maintaining a healthy weight is best achieved through a combination of diet, supplementation, exercise, detoxification, and hormone restoration. Comprehensive programs for heart disease, diabetes, cognitive decline, etc. that address underlying factors and instill a set of lifelong healthy practices are much more likely to be successful than trendy diets or “magic pills.”
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