Why fat cells matter:
The overriding theme of the book “Life’s 2 Short” is about
keeping insulin levels as low as possible, which changes the way energy is used
and stored in the body. The aim is to use the body’s stored energy and not to
add to the stores.
This manifests in smaller, healthier fat cells with a high
turnover rate of energy in the form of glucose stored as fat after eating, and
used when caloric intake is low. The cells (mainly in the liver) make glucose
from fatty acids released from the fat cells. This makes the body metabolically
flexible.
But if we keep feeding the fat cells with more fat
because insulin is elevated, they become huge (up to 10 times their size)
and to slow down the process they become resistant to the effects of insulin.
They will also begin to release inflammatory molecules and some of these land in
the general circulation which causes damage to the inner lining of blood
vessels.
So, why do we have fat cells (adipose tissue)?
Many reasons, but the most pertinent are the following:
1.
It acts as an energy reservoir during low food intake. It prevents starvation.
2.
It acts as insulation against cold (the fat
under the skin).
3.
It acts as a shock absorber (the fat around
organs like the liver).
4.
Surprisingly, it also acts as an endocrine organ (dumping hormones into the blood). The most important of those
is the hormone Leptin, which signals to the brain that there is enough energy
stored and that we can stop eating (also called the “satiety hormone”).
Without fat cells, we cannot survive. But if we over-feed
them, they become the enemy within.
Stop eating sugary starches, and avoid added sugar; this
will keep insulin low, and your fat cells will thank you by improving your
metabolic flexibility and overall health.