A bad diet has consequences on the immune system which can lead to weight gain and other signs of obesity, a recent study has revealed. According to the study, published in the Journal of Immunology, the researchers studied the impact of a western-style high fat diet on the immune system and came out with two surprising results. “Our research looked at whether bad diets have consequences before we notice an increase in body weight. We found that over-consumption of saturated fats is a form of malnutrition: one that needs to be taken seriously,” Abigail Pollock, a researcher at the University of New South Wales, said.
The researchers examined the impact of dietary lipids on a class of immune cells — T lymphocytes or T cells in which a diet rich saturated fats can impact immune function.
“We fed mice a western-style high fat diet for nine weeks to observe if this diet would impact the T cell response before the animal gains weight. Despite our hypothesis that the T cell response would be weakened we actually saw the opposite: the percentage of T cells multiplying increased,” added Pollock.
One clinical ramification of overactive T cells may be autoimmune disease where the immune system begins attacking healthy parts of the body, suggested the study.
According to the study, the other unexpected finding was that T cell responses were altered even in the absence of obesity and obesity induced inflammation.
Dietary lipids do in fact directly influence T cell activation and responsiveness by altering the composition and the structure of the T cell membrane, suggested the study.
“T cells are actually affected prior to the mice becoming overweight. Lipids in the diet change the abundance of lipids in the cell membrane, which in turn changes the structure of the cell altering the responsiveness of the T cells and changing the immune response,” added Pollock.
Weight loss pill found safe
Losing your weight can now be as easy as swallowing a pill as, according to a new study, gastric balloon that is swallowed like a pill, rather than surgically implanted, is safe to use and helps in significant weight loss.
Gastric balloon — also known as the bariatric technology — involves inserting a small silicon balloon filled with saline solution into a patient’s stomach through an endoscopic procedure to create a feeling of fullness so that the patient loses the urge to overeat.
The traditional procedures required endoscopy for placement and removal.
However, the new Elipse is the first procedure-less gastric balloon .
It is swallowed like a pill and gets inflated by an attached catheter with 550ml of fluid over 10 minutes, after which the catheter detaches.
After four months, a valve opens to deflate the balloon for excretion from the body.