Obesity, diabetes symptoms in mice improved by reversing brain inflammation -- ScienceDaily

 "Using an antioxidant to reverse inflammation in the brain caused by a high-fat diet greatly improves symptoms related to obesity and type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests. The research suggests that butein and other natural compounds that block inflammation in the brain should be vigorously investigated as novel anti-diabetic treatments, he says."

Dr Tups says the study adds to growing body of evidence that a diet high in saturated fats activates a cascade of inflammatory processes in the brain which impair leptin and insulin signalling, leading to obesity and type II diabetes.

"Our findings strongly support this idea and we also show that reversing this inflammation promotes a return towards normal metabolic functioning," he says.

The research suggests that butein and other natural compounds that block inflammation in the brain should be vigorously investigated as novel anti-diabetic treatments, he says.

Expression of genetic obesity risk may be influenced by saturated fat intake - Medical News Today

Limiting saturated fat could help people whose genetic make-up increases their chance of being obese. In a new study, researchers from the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (USDA HNRCA) at Tufts University identified 63 gene variants related to obesity and used them to calculate a genetic risk score for obesity for more than 2,800 white, American men and women enrolled in two large studies on heart disease prevention. People with a higher genetic risk score, who also consumed more of their calories as saturated fat, were more likely to have a higher Body Mass Index (BMI), the ratio of body weight to height. Ordovás and colleagues hypothesize that people who have these gene variants that predispose them to obesity may be more sensitive to saturated fat, which is found mostly in fatty cuts of meats, including beef and pork, as well as butter, cheese and other high-fat dairy products.

Saturated fat's role in heart disease is a myth, says heart specialist

A UK cardiologist says it is time "to bust the myth of the role of saturated fat in heart disease," pointing out that since we started following advice to remove it from our diets, cardiovascular risk has gone up.

Writing in this week's online issue of the British Medical Journal Aseem Malhotra, an interventional cardiology specialist registrar at Croydon University Hospital, London, also says government obsession with reducing total cholesterol has led to millions of people being overmedicated with statins, when the real issue is not cholesterol but a more complex triad of lipid abnormalities called "atherogenic dyslipidemia. Dr. Malhotra points the finger at sugar. When you take the fat out of food, it tastes worse, so the food industry replaced the saturated fat with added sugar.

New link between high-fat 'Western' diet and atherosclerosis identified

Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers have found that a diet high in saturated fat raises levels of endothelial lipase (EL), an enzyme associated with the development of atherosclerosis, and, conversely, that a diet high in omega-3 polyunsaturated fat lowers levels of this enzyme. The findings establish a "new" link between diet and atherosclerosis and suggest a novel way to prevent cardiovascular heart disease. In addition, the research may help to explain why the type 2 diabetes drug rosiglitazone (Avandia) has been linked to heart problems.

Obese brain may thwart weight loss: Diets high in saturated fat, refined sugar may cause brain changes that fuel overconsumption

Diets high in saturated fat and refined sugar may cause changes to the brains of obese people that in turn may fuel overconsumption of those same foods and make weight loss more challenging, new research indicates