Researchers Have Found A Way To Reverse Obesity

Obesity is a major problem in modern society. In the US, one out of three people is overweight. An associate professor working at Texas Tech, Dr. Wang, believes that she had discovered a new way to not only prevent but also reverse obesity. The magical method involves the use of nanotechnology.

Obesity is primarily an increase in the mass of adipose tissue, commonly known as fat. There are two types of fat in the body of every mammal. The first one is white fat which is a place to store energy. Meanwhile, brown fat helps to produce heat by non-shivering thermogenesis. Special cells called adipocytes, which are to store energy as fat, compose both types of adipose tissue.

However, the efficiency of brown fat decreases as humans age, which is reflected in slower metabolism system.

An unhealthy diet full of sugar and preservatives, coupled with the lack of activities, is making the situation even worse. This lifestyle accelerates the buildup of white fat.

Before this, researchers considered reservatol, a substance found in berries and red grapes, a promising fat burner. However, it is challenging to get reservatol to reach white fat since oral delivery is impossible. The substance does not break down in body fluid or water, and it is stopped by some chemical alterations in the human liver.

Dr. Wang’s team found a way to cocoon the reservatol with a disposable nanoparticle to increase its dissolvability. The reservatol would be directly delivered to the adipose cells and then turning white cells to brown ones.

A recent study on animals shows that the nanoparticles, using IV injection, work significantly well in transforming white fat to brown. The amount of fat under the skin reduced by 40%, while visceral fat (which wraps around the abdomen) reduced by half.

After a five-week treatment, the lipid stability and insulin balance are also improved, and inflammation also being reduced.

Dr. Wang’s research team have applied for a patent for her invention, and they are also ready to go commercially. She really hoped that this treatment of obesity would be widely used in the future.