World-first study links belly fat to chronic pain

In the first study of its kind, excess abdominal fat has been associated with chronic pain, but the good news is that losing weight that can reduce waistlines could help relieve widespread musculoskeletal conditions.Continue ReadingCategory: Medical, S… Continue reading World-first study links belly fat to chronic pain

New class of fat cells that do pointless busywork show weight-loss promise

We’ve all done it before – spent time and effort on pointless tasks just so we look busy when the boss walks past. But now scientists have discovered a new type of fat cell in the body that does the same thing, burning energy and producing heat with po… Continue reading New class of fat cells that do pointless busywork show weight-loss promise

Plant oils should replace butter, and this comprehensive study confirms it

While there has been a general consensus that olive oil and other plant-based fats are healthier than butter, scientists have now comprehensively put it beyond doubt, combining a number of diet-intervention studies and previous cohort research that all… Continue reading Plant oils should replace butter, and this comprehensive study confirms it

Weight-loss breakthrough hacks white fat to turn calorie-burning beige

By suppressing just one protein, stores of white fat can switch to becoming calorie-burning beige fat, in a feat that so far has eluded scientists working on this long-studied area of obesity treatment.Continue ReadingCategory: Health & Wellbeing, … Continue reading Weight-loss breakthrough hacks white fat to turn calorie-burning beige

Kombucha microbes break down fat stores like fasting – without the effort

It may not be to everyone’s taste, but kombucha tea may be able to deliver the benefits of fasting, without the hardest part – the fasting itself. Researchers found that when the yeasts and bacteria from the fermented, sweetened tea colonized the gut, … Continue reading Kombucha microbes break down fat stores like fasting – without the effort

The protein that dials up ‘good’ fat production has been discovered

In a major breakthrough, scientists have identified a rather elusive protein involved in the production of ‘good’ fat, brown fat, and found it can even boost the formation of these cells in white fat. Understanding how to ‘switch on’ the creation of th… Continue reading The protein that dials up ‘good’ fat production has been discovered

Activating certain brain cells slows aging and boosts lifespan in mice

Slowing down the dreaded aging process is something that everybody’s interested in, and now scientists have uncovered a new pathway to doing so. The team identified a feedback loop in the brain, and found that ramping up its activity helped mice live l… Continue reading Activating certain brain cells slows aging and boosts lifespan in mice

Sugar and fat “tug of war” can derail your diet before you know it

It will come as no surprise that, on a whole, we’re eating too much sugar. Now, scientists have found that when our sweet tooth is sated, that craving is dialed down and in its place comes a sudden desire for fatty foods, which can wreak havoc on metab… Continue reading Sugar and fat “tug of war” can derail your diet before you know it

Overweight men show heightened risk of 17 different cancers

While we often try our best to not live in the past, our biology often has other ideas. Adding to a growing body of evidence that links weight to cancer, researchers have found significantly higher risks for 17 different cancers among men who carried a… Continue reading Overweight men show heightened risk of 17 different cancers

Scientists get fat cells do the heavy lifting for weight loss

Finding the molecular key that will see fat tissue turn from white to brown has huge potential for obesity treatments, and for weight loss in general. Yet the cellular code has been a hard one to crack. Now, scientists believe they’ve edged a step clos… Continue reading Scientists get fat cells do the heavy lifting for weight loss