Scientists have discovered a link between the brain and dangerous belly fat
Portuguese scientists have identified a key process through which the brain and immune system interact to burn the stores of visceral fat in the abdomen. The research results are published in the journal Nature .
Visceral fat surrounds the abdominal organs, but in excess can cause serious health problems, such as cancer or heart disease. To identify the connection between the immune and nervous systems and control the amount of this fat, scientists removed mesenchymal cells from the visceral fat of mice.
It turned out that at the same time, neighboring immune cells – congenital lymphoid cells of the second type (ILC2) – cease to regulate the accumulation of fat.
To track the nerves that innervate the mesenchymal cells to their source, the researchers injected a luminous retrovirus into the nerve fibers of the mouse. It turned out that the signals that control visceral fat came from separate areas of the brain stem, midbrain, hypothalamus and amygdala.
The researchers hypothesize that the hypothalamic nucleus is the “central hub” for fat control. From there, signals are transmitted to specific immune cells to maintain energy balance throughout the body.
Visceral fat, which is found around the lungs, has also been studied by scientists. Research has shown that in this case, neural signals go directly to ILC2.
In the future, experts are going to study what triggers the nucleus of the hypothalamus to send signals to burn fat in a part of the body. They also asked themselves the question of why a number of visceral fat stores have ILC2, which can be directly innervated by the sympathetic nervous system, while others need translators, including mesenchymal cells.
Earlier, British nutritionists named foods that help get rid of belly fat. According to them, experts should eat foods with a high protein content – chicken eggs and fish. Scientists also recommend including tuna meat in your diet.
