With obesity fast becoming one of Australia's greatest health concerns, researchers have been making increasing efforts to understand its causes and find ways of combating what can best be described as an epidemic of obesity. Recently, researchers at the University of Melbourne made what could be a breakthrough discovery: the liver may be the key to weight control.
The importance of the liver has never been underestimated. Just some of its known vital functions include:
- The production of bile to break down fats
- The conversion of sugars (glucose) into stored sugars
- Filtration of harmful substances from the body
- Vitamin and mineral storage
- Maturation of red blood cells
Dr Barbara Fam and Associate Professor Sof Andrikopoulos of Melbourne University's Molecular Obesity Laboratory group at Austin Health discovered that, in addition to these well-known liver functions, the liver apparently is also capable of "talking" directly to the brain and telling it when it is time to cut down on food intake. It does this via an enzyme called FBPase. Formerly, it was thought that an over-expression of this enzyme was a factor in the development of diabetes, since it is also an important element in the production of glucose. However, during their studies with rats, they "were very surprised to see that this enzyme triggered a number of hormones that influence the control of appetite."
How the Liver Helps Control Weight Gain
In an article published in the University of Melbourne's Melbourne Newsroom titled, Liver tells all and reveals truth about fat, Dr. Fam explained how the liver helps control weight gain through the expression of the FBPase enzyme. "The studies suggest that consumption of a diet high in fat, causes an increase in liver FBPase that was likely put in place as a negative feedback mechanism to limit further weight gain" she remarked, going on to outline how the mechanism works. The hormones triggered by the enzyme reduced genes in the brain associated with weight gain. Importantly, FBPase only acts to help control weight when the body is subject to excessive fatty nutrients. Under normal dietary circumstances, it does nothing to control weight gain, making it, in Dr. Fam's words, "an innate system."
While this study did not address the question of why FBPase does not seem to "work" in our overweight population, it is an invaluable finding that may lead to further insights into obesity and more effective ways to control it. It also seems to give further credence to the arguments of natural health practitioners and scientists who argue that genetic influences are not fixed, as was previously believed. While more study is needed, this is an exciting finding that opens many more doors of discovery.
Originally published on Jun 08, 2012
