With obesity rapidly approaching epidemic proportions, researchers at the School of Public Health at Harvard stumbled across a newly discovered hormone produced by fat cells -- palmitoleate. The researchers report in Cell that that if they can increase its production, they may be able to stave off metabolic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease (caused by hardening of the arteries) and so-called fatty liver, an often asymptomatic disease that can lead to damage of the organ as well as cancer. They speculate that it may also aid in weight loss.
Full article reported in Scientific American, accessible here.
No comments:
Post a Comment