"Not all fat is bad for you and some extra weight around your stomach could play a vital role in fighting infections and inflammation, a study has suggested. Excess fat around the belly and internal organs, known as visceral fat, has long been seen as harmful. It's associated with type 2 diabetes, heart disease, some types of cancer, stroke and high blood pressure."
"Jiawei Zhong, the lead author of the study, said: Fat tissue doesn't just store energy it also functions as an active organ, sending signals that affect the entire body. A common misconception is that abdominal fat is uniform, when in fact it consists of several distinct depots. Researchers found some belly fat could be helping the body to fight infections (Alamy/PA) For the study, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, researchers took samples of five different abdominal fat types in eight individuals with severe obesity."
Samples were taken from five abdominal fat depots in eight individuals with severe obesity, including subcutaneous fat and internal visceral depots. Fat tissue functions as an active organ that stores energy and sends signals affecting the whole body. Abdominal fat comprises several distinct depots with differing gene-expression profiles and immune signatures. Some visceral depots display immune-supporting and anti-inflammatory characteristics that may help fight infections. Other visceral fat remains associated with type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, stroke, and high blood pressure. Findings indicate a need to refine classification and clinical targeting of abdominal fat.
Read at www.independent.co.uk
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