Posted by Larry Hoover on May 15, 2005, at 7:54:13
In reply to Question on biochemical effects of weight loss, posted by Cecilia on May 15, 2005, at 3:42:27
> I know that a lot of stuff-medications, fat soluble vitamins, natural hormones like estrogen, pesticides and toxins in the environment etc. are stored in fat cells. Anyone know what happens when you lose weight-do levels of all these things in your blood increase? Cecilia
Oh, I love a good question. You made me take a closer look at this, and I find that there has been new information published since I last looked. I do love good questions.
First, though, I'd like to clarify what seems to be one minor misunderstanding. Adipocytes do not store hormones. They manufacture and secrete them. Adipocytes are glands, but that was not recognized until only recently. They modify systemic metabolism, and the more fat your store, the more regulatory power they obtain.
Yes, fat-soluble pollutants are released from adipocytes during weight loss, and proportionally to the rate at which fat is released from storage.
Many of those toxicants (things that each of us has stored in our fatty tissue, by the way) disturb muscle tissue metabolism (oxidation of fatty acids), thyroid function (induced hypothyroid), and thus, decrease the basal metabolic rate. In effect, the toxins inhibit weight loss, and promote a return to weight gain. Quite apart from these effects, they are generally pro-inflammatory, and promote some cancers.
This seems to be quite an argument for controlled gradual weight loss. Your body does have some capacity to destroy or excrete these toxins, and a gradual release from fat stores will give your body its best chance to deal with them.
You can't do a blessed thing about what is already stored in your fatty tissue, but you can do something about what you eat while you're losing that fat weight. If your diet during that period is organic, or in some other way carrying a lower toxin burden, it will not be additive to that released from fat storage, and you thereby minimize the net toxin burden your liver must deal with.
Thanks for asking a great question.
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:497936
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/health/20050411/msgs/497970.html