Subcutaneous fat, which forms cellulite, may offer protection against brain inflammation, one of the causes of dementia.
- According to the World Health Organization, 50 million people worldwide suffer from dementia.
- One of the main causes of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease.
Cellulite is often considered unsightly, and many miracle diets or tricks promise to eliminate it. However, it is a natural phenomenon and completely normal. A new study published in the specialized journal Diabetes could reconcile us with this deposit of subcutaneous fat. According to its authors, cellulite offers protection against dementia. By carrying out tests on mice, they found that females, with a high level of subcutaneous fat, had a lower level of brain inflammation, compared to males.
Differences in fat storage between male and female mice
The team of researchers from the Georgia School of Medicine investigated brain inflammation, one of the causes of dementia. To do this, they observed fatty tissue and sex hormone levels, as well as the rate of brain inflammation in male and female mice, at different time intervals. As in humans, obese female mice tend to have more subcutaneous fat and less visceral fat than male mice. This finding led scientists to hypothesize that these differences in fat distribution could be an explanation for the protection against inflammation enjoyed by females before menopause. “Before women reach menopause, men are thought to be at higher risk of developing inflammation-related issues, from heart attack to stroke“, recall the authors.
Increased brain inflammation correlated with lower subcutaneous fat levels
The researchers conducted different experiments to observe the distribution of fat and its impact on brain inflammation. When they performed an operation similar to liposuction in female mice to reduce the amount of subcutaneous fat, they found that brain inflammation increased, but hormone levels did not change. “When we took subcutaneous fat out of the equation, all of a sudden women’s brains started showing inflammation similar to male brains, and women gained more visceral fat.“, develops Alexis Stranahan, the main author of this research. In comparison, mice that did not have liposuction had brain inflammation rates similar to those of males, after their menopause.
What does this study tell us about cellulite and brain inflammation?
For the authors of this study, several lessons should be drawn from this work. “Do not do liposuction“, warns Alexis Stranahan. But we should also review the statistical tools used today to assess the risk of disease, in particular the body mass index. “BMI, which simply divides weight by height, and is commonly used to indicate overweight, obesity and therefore disease risk, is probably not a very meaningful tool “, she believes. She suggests using the waist-to-hip ratio instead, to better take into account where the fat is.