The end-of-year celebrations are fast approaching, and with them the apprehension of the extra pounds that go hand in hand with this period. A recent study has reassured all anxious by having proven that subcutaneous fat protects the brain of women. We tell you more.
After reading this article, you may say thank you to your little extra pounds. A recent study published in the journal Diabetespublished by the American Diabetes Association, has proven that subcutaneous fat (that which is located under the skin), protects women’s brains.
This study thus concerns women who have more fat in the buttocks, hips or even under the arms. These would be better protected against brain inflammationresponsible for various diseases (stroke, encephalomyelitis, dementia or multiple sclerosis).
The difference in fat between men and women
The researchers found these results by studying the factors that explain the differences in risk of brain problems between men and women. They therefore examined mice the location and increase in the amount of fatty tissues and also their sex hormone levels in addition to their brain inflammation. It’s proven, women mostly develop fat under the skin, while men accumulate it around the organs of the abdominal cavity. According to the researchers, this would be the “rkey factor in protection against inflammation enjoyed by females before menopause” since they observed that mice entering menopause have a fat distribution close to that of male mice.
Alexis M. Stranahan, neuroscientist at Augusta University in the United States and co-author of the study itself explained what happened when they removed the subcutaneous fat: “When we took subcutaneous fat out of the equation (through liposuction), all of a sudden, the brains of the females began to show inflammation like male brains do”, she developed. As a result, female mice gained more visceral fat after resuming a high-fat diet and thus increase the risk of disease mentioned at the beginning of the article.