Fat stored on the lower body would protect against metabolic syndrome, according to results of a study published in the medical journal Cell Metabolism. On the other hand, abdominal fat promotes the risk of early mortality from cardiovascular.
It is now established that a body mass index (BMI) for normal weight (defined by WHO as a BMI of 18.5–25 kg/m²) is associated with the lowest all-cause mortality. However, does this assumption apply to all subjects in this BMI range?
Researchers from the University of Tübingen (Germany) conducted a study with 981 people to understand the impact of excess fat on health. Scientists wanted to understand why some people who display a normal weight are nevertheless prone to metabolic disorders.
After defining metabolic health as having less than 2 metabolic syndrome risk parameters, they found that 18% of their lean subjects were metabolically unhealthy.
The researchers used magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy to precisely determine body fat mass, fat distribution, and fat deposition in the liver.
Abdominal fat promotes metabolic syndrome
They found that fat stored in the lower part of the body protected against metabolic syndrome. And that fat, mainly abdominal, is linked to a three times higher risk of mortality from origin cardiovascular, since fatty tissue accumulates around vital organs. The volunteers who carried a plump belly displayed the markers of poor cardiovascular health. They were more at risk of traces of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), insulin resistance or hypercholesterolemia.
“The fat stored in the lower part of the body, at the level of the thighs, buttocks and hips, would have a” role of sponge “”, according to these scientists. “This would protect the viscera and thus reduce the risk of vascular mortality, but also the possibility of developing a disease affecting the cardiovascular system (such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, hypercholesterolemia or resistance to ‘insulin)”, explains Norbert Stefan, author of the study.
These conclusions are not valid for overweight people, who have a high risk of metabolic syndrome. The metabolic syndrome is not a disease but designates the set of the following physiological signs: rate of cholesterol HDL (the “good” cholesterol) lower than 1.04 mmol/l for men, 1.29 mmol/l (46 mg/dl) for women, obesity, accumulation of fat on the stomach, arterial hypertension, disorders of glycemia (diabetes, prediabetes), high triglyceride levels. These symptoms can cause diabetes, cardiovascular problems or stroke. They affect 25% of people worldwide.
Read also:
How to lose 3 kilos?
Adopting a balanced diet is not that complicated!
Eat better to live longer in good health