Liver regulates hunger

Researchers at the University of Melbourne and the largest Australian health provider Austin Health are the secret on the track how our body regulates fat balance and weight. Together with Professor Sof Andrikopolous has found that the liver directly communicates with our brain to control the food amount that we consume daily are those governing Austin Health in Melbourne Barbara Fam.

The test results make it clear that, contrary to previous assumptions, the liver actually plays a decisive role in regulating body weight and should be treated in a targeted manner in the event of weight gain.

In laboratory tests on mice, overexpression of a certain liver enzyme led to a 50 percent reduction in fat. The affected mice also ate less than the mice that didn't have the extra enzyme in their bodies. Since the enzyme called FBPase is needed for glucose production, scientists have long thought that too much FBPase is unhealthy for the human body.

"Due to the fact that the enzyme is responsible for the liver's increased glucose production, we actually assumed that the mice with the extra FBPase dose were more likely to develop diabetes. However, on closer examination of the mice, we found that that the enzyme triggered the secretion of certain hormones that affect hunger.

"Research results indicate that a high-fat diet leads to an increase in liver enzymes. This increase probably occurred as a negative feedback mechanism to control further weight gain. However, under normal physiological circumstances, FBPase by no means assumes the role of controlling body weight. Rather, the enzyme only intervenes when the body is supplied with excess nutrients, such as fat," explained Dr. family

"When people eat a high-fat, high-sugar diet, especially over the long term, that diet can have very different effects on the body. However, it seems that we actually have an innate system that counteracts the potential for further weight gain in such situations," concludes Dr. family

The test results must be checked in further studies. However, the latest study has shown that FBPase should not only be considered as a mediator of glucose metabolism, but also as a very important organ that regulates our feeling of hunger and fat balance.

The study was published in April 2012 in the scientific journal Diabetes.

Source: Melbourne [ Ranke-Heinemann Institute ]