Numerous studies have already been made about the high risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes brought about by the amount of fat stored in the belly of humans. But, recently, a new study has concluded that too much abdominal fat could be a precursor to dementia. How is this so? The liver snatches proteins that are building blocks of memory, away from the hippocampus and other parts of the body, to breakdown the fat.
WebMD reported that in a study conducted by Rachel Whitmer, PhD, research scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, a large health maintenance organization in Oakland, Calif., she assessed the records of more than 6,500 members of Kaiser Permanente of Northern California from the time they were in their 40s until they were in their 70s (for an average of 36 years).
The records detailed each member's height, weight and belly diameter. Those whose belly measured higher than the others had a higher risk of dementia. The connection was true even for people who scored as normal in the weighing scale but with excess fat in their tummy.
So, if you're a woman and your waist measures more than 35 inches and if you're a man and your waist circumference reads 40+ inches, you better start shedding off those excess belly fats.
As different diet and fitness schemes have flooded the market, all aimed at melting those extra pounds away, exhaustive studies to have a better understanding about fats were also on the rise. One of the latest findings is about white fat cells, brown fat cells and just recently, the beige fat cells.
The job of white fat cells is to store energy and produce hormones responsible in metabolism. If left unused, they are stored as excess energy, usually around the belly. Brown fat cells, however, act as "muscles", responsible in burning white fat cells to generate heat and keep the body warm. The key is to stimulate those brown fats to shed off those excess pounds. But brown fats tend to deplete as people reach middle age. According to UCSF News Center website, UC San Francisco recent study, resulted in the discovery of what is known as beige fat. In response to cold and other stresses, beige fats are formed within white fat cells which later is converted into brown fat.
According to Gizmag, researchers at Kyoto University in Japan has begun its quest in finding out ways to stimulate these beige fat cells with a certain kind of foods. Japanese scientists have found that Omega 3-rich fish oil converts white fat cells into beige fat cells.
Diabetes Center in Boston warns; "Even if the drug to stimulate brown fat pans out, it won't be a cure-all for weight issues. It may, however, help a person achieve more weight loss combined with a sound diet and exercise regimen."
