26/04/2022
Interesting Research on Omega-3 Fats and Weight Management
Omega-3 fatty acids are fats found in foods such as fish and nuts. They play many important roles in the body. New research shows they impact weight management by influencing the formation of new fat cells—and that’s a good thing.
There are antenna-like structures that extend from the surface of the cell known called cilia. They are designed to pick up and send cellular signals. Defects in the cilium are known to be associated with obesity and insulin resistance, but the reasons have been unclear. Researchers discovered that the cilium can sense omega-3 fats in the diet and signal the stem cells in fat tissue to divide and turn into new fat cells.
Without the signal to initiate the formation of new cells to store fat, existing fat cells become larger. It’s better to have more small fat cells than fewer, larger fat cells. The larger the cells are the more likely they are to be linked to insulin resistance, other health conditions, and to the release of toxic contents.
This research opens up a new and exciting area of study involving omega-3 fats, and re-emphasizes the importance of eating a diet that includes healthy fats, especially the polyunsaturated fats you know as omega-3s.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31761534
