Lipid-Based Hormone Begets The Notion Of Curing Obesity By Boosting Fat Production

Thursday, September 18, 2008 - 14:00 in Biology & Nature

A hormone found at higher levels when the body produces its own "home grown" fat comes with considerable metabolic benefits, according to a report in Cell. The newly discovered signaling molecule is the first example of a lipid-based hormone; most are made up of proteins. The findings in mice raise the notion that boosting the body's fat production might actually be one solution to the growing epidemic of obesity and related metabolic diseases. Likewise, diets supplemented with the fat hormone, a fatty acid known as palmitoleate, might also come with long-term benefits. The results also reveal that, as with most things, when it comes to fat it's not good to generalize. Read More...

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