Photo: NDTV
Washington, US (BBN) - In a bid to lose weight many of us fall for several myths and assumption along the way. One of them is avoiding fats. Did you know? Fats are one of the three macronutrients which is essential to sustain a healthy life.
Fats helps developing nerve sheath coating, human tissues are made up of fat, hence ruling out fats completely from the diet can never be a good idea, reports NDTV.
According to a latest study, a high-fat diet may also aid healthy weight loss. The study has identified a pathway to prevent fat cell fat cells from growing larger that leads to weight gain and obesity.
According to the US based study published in journal e life, conducted by Washington University in St. Louis US; by activating Hedgehog pathway in fat cells in mice- you could feed the animals a high –fat diet without making them overweight.
According to the researchers, the pathway discovered by the team may act as a new therapeutic target for treating obesity. The researchers explained that the fat accumulation is mainly due increased fat cell size and each fat cell grows bigger so that it can hold larger fat droplets
When the fat cells begin to expand, that is when the person tends to gain weight- as opposed to having more fat cells. The team focused on the so-called Hedgehog protein pathway that is active in many tissues in the body.
For the animal study, the group of researchers engineered mice with genes that activated the Hedgehog pathway in fat cells when those animals ate a high-fat diet. The findings revealed that after about eight weeks of eating the high-fat diet, control animals whose Hedgehog pathways had not been activated became obese. On the other hand, mice that had been engineered with genes to activate the pathway were fine in terms of their weight gain. They did not gain any more weight than those control animals that consumed normal diets.
The researchers believe that the Hedgehog pathway could have prevented obesity by inhibiting the size of the fat cells and prevented them from collecting and storing fat droplets
Here is a list of benefits that you could derive from eating good fats derived from nuts, lean meat, fish, avocados and ghee.
• High fat diet is extremely satiating and also keeps your blood sugar level stable. When you embark on low fat diet in an attempt to lose weight, you may end up hungry and dissatisfied, thus ending up craving for sugary snacks.
• Increased fat intake promotes a healthy gut too. Healthy fats work with your gut bacteria to protect the gut barrier that works hard to regulate your immune response and flush out all the toxins and chemicals.
• Good fats are good for brain health; our brain is composed of omega-3 fatty acids and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). A deficiency of fats can lead to stress, anxiety and other mood disorders. So, feel good about adding good fats to your diet and vice versa!
• Eating good fats will not make you fat. If you choose to eat healthier fats, in controlled portions, your body will eventually learn to burn fat, instead of energy, further inducing weight loss. A high-fat diet can also curb hunger and cravings that mostly leads to overeating.
• Fat is a crucial element for your body's absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins. Adding fats to your diet will help boost the absorption of vitamins that further help in strengthening your bones, boosting your immune system and protecting your heart health.
• High fat diet benefit includes boosting energy levels. Good fats keep you on your toes throughout the day without having to feel hungry. If you eat a diet centered on carbohydrates, one experiences raises in insulin levels. This rise in insulin levels will make you feel tired and lethargic.
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