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VERIFIED CONTENTAuthor: Dominika Wilk
Inflammation in the body occurs not only during infections or cuts. Also, excessive growth of adipose tissue, especially in the abdomen, can become a source of chronic inflammation, which, unlike acute and short-term inflammation, generates various diseases.
We talk about obesity when the body mass index defined as BMI (ratio of body weight to height) exceeds 30 kg / m2. According to WHO, we mean obesity grade I when BMI ranges from 30-34.9 kg / m2, grade II from 35.0-39.9 kg / m2, and grade III above 40 kg / m2. Obesity is also a condition in which body fat in women is more than 25% and in men it is more than 20%.
The metabolic definition of obesity is that it is a type of adipose tissue that leads to impairment of both motor and metabolic functions, resulting in impaired secretion of adipokines by adipocytes, as well as the initiation of inflammation by adipose tissue, which in turn leads to the emergence of many accompanying diseases.
Obesity and inflammation
Many people are not aware that excess body fat is not only an aesthetic but also a he alth problem. Adipose tissue is an endocrine organ and when there is too much of it, it becomes a source of chronic inflammation. And this, in turn, leads to the emergence of various diseases such as: diabetes, atherosclerosis, hypertension.
The main source of inflammation in obese people are adipocytes (fat cells), which secrete adipokines (adipose tissue hormones) in a changed amount than in a he althy person (which is important for the development of disorders).
They produce, for example, leptin, resistin, lipocaine2, which promote metabolic diseases and intensify a number of unfavorable processes in the body that exacerbate the phenomenon of obesity. In addition, they secrete pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-6, interleukin-18, or TNF-α, which are responsible for maintaining inflammation in the body.
The source of inflammation are also macrophages, which flow into the adipose tissue in a significant amount. The greater the percentage of tissuefat, the more macrophages there are in it. They remove dead adipocytes that die as a result of cellular overgrowth. By doing this, they excrete pro-inflammatory cytokines in the process.
The macrophages found in the adipose tissue of lean and obese people are different. Type II (M2) macrophages dominate in lean individuals, and in obese individuals, type I (M1) macrophages are responsible for the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin 6 or TNF-α. Particularly dangerous is TNF-α, which leads to disorders of insulin metabolism and lack of satiety.
The result is that insulin cannot bind to its receptor, so it cannot be active and lower the blood glucose level (and prolonged, increased glucose levels are a risk of developing diabetes). In turn, improperly working leptin leads to the fact that obese people still feel hungry and eat excess amounts of food.
In obese people, the advantage of Th1 lymphocytes over Th2 in adipose tissue is noticeable, which leads to increased secretion of interferons, i.e. proteins that are activated in various types of infections, e.g. viral or bacterial. This leads to the stimulation of macrophages, and thus the intensification of inflammatory reactions.
In addition, people with obesity have a noticeable decrease in Treg-type lymphocytes in visceral adipose tissue, which in turn is associated with increased secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and elevated insulin levels.
Secreted by adipose tissue, interleukin-6 not only stimulates the synthesis of acute phase proteins, but also adversely affects the vascular endothelium, which promotes the formation of atherosclerosis. In addition, it reduces the expression of the insulin receptor, thereby enhancing insulin resistance. This further leads to an increased accumulation of triglycerides and free fatty acids and an increase in blood cortisol levels. All this contributes to the development of abdominal obesity.
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Ways to minimize inflammation in obesity
One way to reduce chronic inflammation in obese people is to reduce body fat. Especially the one in the stomach, which is usually the most resistant to shedding.
Due to the fact that it is often the result of insulin resistance, the key toof losing adipose tissue on the belly is to regulate the insulin metabolism. This can be achieved through the appropriate composition of meals and maintaining the appropriate intervals between meals.
The eaten dish cannot consist only of carbohydrates, for example, as this will cause a rapid insulin release and a feeling of hunger again just as quickly. In maintaining the proper level of insulin, protein components, fat and fiber are essential, which will prolong the digestion process.
Therefore, a breakfast consisting of oatmeal, yoghurt and nuts is the most appropriate meal for a person with insulin resistance, while semolina cooked in water with bananas and dates is an example of an improperly composed dish.
Stable insulin levels, necessary for weight loss in obese people, can also be maintained through proper food processing. Mashed foods, such as mashed potatoes, will lead to insulin release faster than those with skin and fibers that will digest longer. The body will also react differently to the same product, but stored in a different way.
For example, chilled pasta or potatoes will have more resistant starch in them, and therefore will be digested more slowly than freshly prepared. Less ripe fruit will also contribute to a more stable insulin economy, so it's better to buy slightly green bananas than very yellow ones with brown spots, which will raise your blood sugar level faster.
A diet low in fat, especially saturated fat and trans fat, is also essential in reducing inflammation. Studies in mice have shown that those rodents that were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) had a rapid increase in CD8 + T cells in adipose tissue (these are lymphocytes that promote the influx of macrophages into adipose tissue, and these in turn trigger the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines). ).
In turn, those mice that had removed CD8 + T cells had a reduced number of type 1 macrophages and a smaller number of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as inteleukin 6 or TNF-α.
The conclusion is that with less fat consumed, there is not such a large increase in inflammatory lymphocytes.
Diet alone is sometimes not enough to reduce inflammation. That is why some obese people receive statins from their doctor. The main goal of this type of pharmacotherapy is to reduce the level of the "bad cholesterol fraction", i.e. LDL, to improve the vascular endothelium and to inhibit the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines.