Avocado In Daily Diet Lowers Bad Cholesterol Levels

Journal of the American Heart Association published a study citing that a daily diet of one avocado can help overweight and obese indiviuals improve their bad cholesterol levels.

Researchers used data gathered from forty five overweight or obese patients between the ages of 21 and 70, through three different diets to come up with their results. They found that patients had lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels and better blood measurements after the avocado diet. LDL is considered the "bad cholesterol" while monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat are considered to be healthy for the body. These measurements are all considered to be cardio-metabolic risk factors in ways that are independent of the heart-healthy fatty acid effects.

Aside from this latest study, recent research also point out that anti-oxidants found in avocados, specifically in avocado oil, are far better than those found in other fruits.

The authors of the study wants people to focus on eating a heart-healthy diet that includes avocados and other nutrient-rich food sources of better fats.

In addition to the article, the AHA/ASA also released an infographic on the different kinds of fats and the effect it has on the body:

Regular Exposure to Mild Cold Conditions Promote Healthy Weight Loss

A study by researchers of the Maastricht University Medical Center in The Netherlands show that regular exposure to mild cold can be a healthy and sustainable weight loss regimen.

The authors of the study believe that exposure to cold temperatures affect the body's energy expenditure significantly. The body starts to generate its own heat to control body temperature.

Experiments show that regular exposure to cold weather, people decreased their body fat, acclimated to the temperature and shivered less even at a temperature of 15 degrees Celsius or 59 degrees Fahrenheit.

Heat production during this process can account up to 30 percent of the body's energy budget.

The authors believe that adapting to a colder climate can be a healthy way to regulate body fat and counteract obesity as well as have a beneficial side effect of conserving energy cost in home and building heating systems.

Laser Lipolysis - Non Surgical Procedure That Melts Fat and Tightens Skin

Latest research on laser lipolysis, a new fat reducing procedure that is non-surgical and non-invasive, is being presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 38th Annual Scientific Meeting in New Orleans.

Laser lipolysis is a fat reduction treatment that is non-surgical and non-invasive. It uses laser light to target fat cells and disrupt the cell membranes which causes the fat to liquefy and break down. Once liquefied, the fat is released into the interstitial space, where they are slowly transported through the body’s natural metabolic functions to be used by the body as an energy source.

After undergoing laser lipolysis, exercise is strongly recommended to accelerate the breakdown and removal of fat from the treated area.

The treatment is fast becoming very popular in the removal of unwanted fatty tissues not only because of its non-invasive procedure but also of decreased adiposity (being in a fat or obese state), shorter recovery times, and improved skin tightening. Latest studies have shown benefits of using laser lipolysis such as liquefying fatty tissue, coagulating small blood vessels, inducing collagenesis (production of collagen) with remodeling, and promoting skin and tissue tightening.

Potential Glioblastoma Treatment Through Mesenchymal Stem Cells Under Study

Researchers have found that stem cells from human fat can be used as a treatment for Glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma multiforme or GBM is the deadliest brain cancer around. It is also the most common. A patient diagnosed with GBM usually has one to two years to live.

In GBM, tumors called gliomas start in the brain or spine. Mild forms of GBM is considered Grade I GMB while the most aggressive and deadliest is Grade IV GBM. A Grade IV GBM is the most advanced and the hardest to treat of all the types.

In the study, using stem cells from both fat and bone marrow may lead to a treatment for GBM.

Stem cells are cells that can transform into a higher form of cell such as a tissue or organ. This process of transformation is called differentiation. There are many kinds of stem cells in the body and are related to a specific function or biological system.

For example, heart stem cells are used to form tissues and organs related to the heart. Blood stem cells are related to functions and elements of blood. There are also brain stem cells that grow into cells used by the brain.

The most commonly known stem cell is the embryonic stem cell. It is a special kind of stem cell because of its pluripotency. Pluripotency is the ability to differentiate into different kind of cells regardless of the biological system.

Fat Accumulation Can Be Blocked By Activating Androgen Receptors In The Body

New research show that the relationship between androgen receptors and glucocorticoids have an active role in the accumulation of fat which may result in obesity.

Nuclear receptors are proteins found inside cells that sense steroid and thyroid hormones and certain other molecules. Androgen receptors (AR) are nuclear receptors that sense and act on androgen, a hormone vital to male sexual development such as puberty. Androgen receptors respond to androgen hormones by binding to them which in turn attaches to the person's DNA.

Its role is to regulate the activity of androgen-responsive genes by activating or deactivating them. This helps the AR to regulate and direct the development of male sexual characteristics as well as functions in both males and females such as hair growth and sex drive.

Glucocorticoids

Glucocorticoids (GC) are natural occurring steroids that regulate the metabolism of glucose and its synthesis in the adrenal cortex.

GCs are used by the immune system to slow down or turn down immune system activity such as inflammation. These steroids also have the ability to control, regulate, and sometimes interfere with the internal mechanisms of cancer cells.

Because of these properties, glucocorticoids are used heavily in medical treatments that range from cancer therapy to autoimmune diseases. Despite the positive benefits GC properties have, it also has many other effects that may prove harmful when used without proper medical supervision.

A side effect on the use of glucocorticoids is that it can increase weight gain by encouraging fat buildup and appetite stimulation.

Manipulating hormone receptors may help in the fight against obesity

In the body's ongoing effort to maintain a healthy weight, an arsenal of cellular proteins called androgen receptors is critical for blocking fat accumulation. Now researchers reporting in the September issue of the Cell Press Journal Chemistry & Biology have discovered that naturally occurring steroids called glucocorticoids can thwart the receptors' activity, ultimately encouraging fat buildup.

"This has implications in this era of an obesity epidemic," says senior author Dr. Michael Mancini, from Baylor College of Medicine. "If you can reduce glucocorticoids, you might be able to upregulate, or increase, androgen receptor activity and regulate fat storage."

Excess Amount of Visceral Fat Increases Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Obesity is a disorder where there is the body has an excessive amount of fat. This results from an uneven balance of calories where there is more calories taken in than burned.

Obesity is a serious condition as it may lead to more serious disorders such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Visceral fat is the fat that is located between organs. Acids released by these type of fat is metabolized by the liver and can cause insulin resistance which leads to Type 2 diabetes.

Visceral fat as compared to subcutaneous fat (fat located underneath the skin) is easier to lose. Cardiovascular exercise, weight training, and proper diet greatly helps in the reduction, control and maintenance of visceral fat.

The benefits of reducing the amount of visceral fat are low blood pressure, low cholesterol levels, healthier cardiovascular system, and overall feeling of well being.

Where body fat is stored may determine the likelihood of obese persons developing Type 2 diabetes

Obese individuals with excess visceral fat (abdominal fat that surrounds the body’s internal organs) have an increased risk for the development of Type 2 diabetes, according to a new study by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center. By contrast, persons with excess abdominal subcutaneous fat (fat underneath the skin) were not at higher risk for the onset of diabetes.

SFRP5 Molecule Identified As A Factor In Accumulating Fat In The Body

Adipocytes are the cells that primarily comprise the adipose tissue. They are also known as lipocytes and fat cells.

Adipose tissue is used by the body to store energy as fat. There are two kinds of adipose tissue, White Adipose Tissue (WAT) and Brown Adipose Tissue (BAT). They are more commonly known as white fat and brown fat.

Brown fat has been tagged as the "good" fat since it burns calories more than WAT. This type of fat is abundant in newborns and in hibernating mammals. Its primary function is to generate body heat in animals or newborns that do not shiver.

White adipose tissue is critical for the deposition of excessive fatty acids. This is where excess fat from food is stored, later to be released as energy. Excessive eating causes more fat to be stored and ultimately leads to obesity.

Why do fat cells get fat? New suspect Identified

As the world fights obesity at the human level, scientists at the University of Michigan and their colleagues have made a surprising finding at the microscopic level that could help fuel that fight.

Their work helps explain why fat-storing cells get fatter, and burn fat slower, as obesity sets in. If their findings from mice can be shown to apply to humans, they may provide a new target for obesity-fighting drugs.

By studying the tiny signals that fat-storing cells send to one another, the team has shown a crucial and previously unknown role for a molecule called Secreted frizzled-related protein 5 (SFRP5) .

The results, which appear online today and will be in the July issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, surprised them.