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As published in the journal 'Cell Reports', Australian researchers have mapped what happens to fat deposits during intermittent fasting (every two days).
Scientists have mapped what happens to fat stores during intermittent fasting (every other day), and made an unexpected discovery that some types of fat are more resistant to weight loss, they report in 'Cell Reports' magazine.
In a study with mice, Australian researchers have analyzed what happens in fat tissue during intermittent fasting, and have found that a cascade of drastic changes is triggered, depending on the type of fat deposits and where they are located around the body.
Using state-of-the-art instruments, researchers at the University of Sydney found that fat around the stomach, which can accumulate as a 'protruding belly' in humans, went into 'conservation mode', adapting over time and becoming smaller. resistant to weight loss.
A research team led by Dr. Mark Larance examined types of fat tissue from different locations to understand their function during bi-day fasting, where no food was consumed on alternate days.
The types of fat where changes were found included visceral belly fat, which is the fatty tissue that surrounds our organs, including the stomach, and subcutaneous fat, which is located just under the skin and is associated with better metabolic health. .
"While most people would think that all fatty tissue is the same, in fact, location makes a big difference," explains Dr. Larance, of the Charles Perkins Center and the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at "Our data show that both visceral and subcutaneous fat experience dramatic changes during intermittent fasting."
During fasting, fat tissue provides energy to the rest of the body by releasing fatty acid molecules. However, the researchers found that visceral fat became resistant to this release of fatty acids during fasting.
There were also signs that visceral and subcutaneous fat increased their ability to store energy as fat, which would likely quickly rebuild the fat depot before the next fasting period.
Dr. Larance notes that it was possible that a history of repeated periods of fasting triggered a preservation signaling pathway in visceral fat. "This suggests that visceral fat can adapt to repeated bouts of fasting and protect its energy reserve," he explains. "This type of adaptation may be the reason why visceral fat can be resistant to weight loss after long periods." diet".
Dr. Larance says using a mouse model is a useful analog before human studies. "Mouse physiology is similar to humans, but their metabolism is much faster, allowing us to observe changes more quickly than in human trials and examine tissues that are difficult to sample in humans," he explains.
Future research in mice and humans could uncover the mechanisms by which this resistance occurs and also what types of diet and other interventions may be best for combating belly fat.
The research team examined more than 8.500 proteins located in fat stores, creating a catalog of changes that occurred during intermittent fasting, using a technique called proteomics.
Proteomics, the study of all proteins, a relatively new area of study that takes its name from genomics (the study of all genes), monitors how proteins react under certain conditions, which in this case is intermittent fasting.
The results provide a rich source of data that helps paint a more complete picture of the inner workings of fat tissue. It was through proteomics that the research team was alerted to the major cellular changes caused by intermittent fasting and, after further analysis, highlighted the visceral fat-sparing mechanism in action.
Dr. Larance says it should be noted that the intermittent study findings may not apply to different diet regimens, such as the 5:2 diet (fasting 2 out of every 7 days) or calorie restriction, which is common in people who they want to lose weight.
The results lay the groundwork for future studies, which will analyze the molecules responsible for why visceral fat is resistant to energy release during fasting and will help determine which diet plans would be most beneficial for metabolic health.
