“Reprogramming” Visceral Fat

In a recent newsletter, I discussed research findings that showed visceral fat (fat stored around your organs) was far more unhealthy than fat stored just below the surface of the abdomen and around the hips and thighs. Visceral fat is linked to a host of health problems, many of which are associated with a generalized systemic increase in inflammation.

While exactly how and why visceral fat stimulates inflammation and its subsequent impacts on health is still under investigation, diet is known to play a big role.

The “typical Western Diet” (high in sugar and fat) is known to trigger pro-inflammatory effects in visceral fat.

But there’s now some encouraging evidence that a healthy diet may trigger the opposite effect in visceral fat and actually cause it to reduce general inflammation!

The mechanisms get a bit complicated, but to keep things simple, visceral fat isn’t composed entirely of fat cells. There’s some immune cells in the visceral fat as well, and they react to various proteins and other substances released by the visceral fat in response to your diet.

One of the proteins, known as Wnt10, released by the visceral fat, in turn causes the immune cells to release a compound called B-catenin, which inhibits the production of inflammatory chemicals, such as interleukin-6. Basically, the more Wnt10, the more B-catenin, the less inflammation.

Unfortunately, those consuming a typical Western diet tend to have less Wnt10.

This is probably not the whole story, but it does provide at least a partial reasonable explanation for why having a lot of visceral fat carries significant health risks, as compared to other types of fat deposition.

As with much of the knowledge of human biochemistry and physiological interactions in the body, things are still more than a bit “fuzzy,” but it appears that the typical Western diet reduces the production of Wnt10 by the visceral fat, consequently reducing the production of B-catenin and increasing inflammation.

But the converse also appears to be true – eating a healthy diet tends to result in higher levels of Wnt10, thereby elevating B-catenin and potentially decreasing systemic inflammation. Excess visceral fat is probably still not healthy, but it seems possible that through simply improving one’s diet, one can turn visceral fat to one’s advantage in helping control systemic inflammation – and do it fairly quickly!

As interesting as these mechanisms are (or perhaps aren’t to you!), the big takeaway here is that even if you have long-standing significant health issues, health can usually be improved through positive lifestyle changes.

The body is largely a self-healing system – if whatever damage present is not “too far gone,” and you provide it with the conditions it needs to heal.

Until next time…

George F. Best, D.C.