Khaberni - A recent study shows that not all fats in the human body are harmful, as some extra weight around the belly area may play an important role in supporting the immune system and fighting infections and inflammation.
Traditionally, the fats accumulated around the belly and internal organs, known as visceral fats, are considered a health risk factor due to their association with chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, strokes, high blood pressure, and some types of cancer.
However, researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden have found that belly fat is not a homogenous mass, but consists of multiple types, some of which may have unexpected health benefits.
Jiaowei Zhong, the lead author of the study, explained that the function of fat tissue is not just to store energy, but it acts as an active organ that sends signals affecting various body functions, pointing out that the notion that all belly fats are similar is a common misconception.
In the study, researchers analyzed samples of five different types of belly fat from eight individuals with severe obesity, which included subcutaneous fats, fats surrounding the stomach, and fats near the intestines.
The results revealed significant differences between these types, especially the adipose tissue known as pericolonic fat that stretches along the colon, which contains a large number of inflammatory fat cells and immune cells.
Laboratory experiments showed that signals from bacteria could stimulate these fat cells to produce proteins that activate immune cells within the tissues, helping to counteract infections.
The researchers noted that the adipose tissue near the intestines may play a special role, perhaps as an adaptation to the gut microbiome, which is the microbial community living inside the digestive system.
While the study focused on individuals with obesity, the researchers emphasized that the extent to which these findings apply to people with normal weight is still under investigation.
In this context, Jutta Jalkanen, the lead co-author of the study, stated that the next phase will involve studying the role of adipose tissue around the colon in inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, to understand whether it contributes to the amplification or persistence of inflammation through its interaction with immune cells.
