The Science Behind Obesity and Diabetes
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - It is called a molecular complex. For the purposes of what we are talking about today just think of a molecular complex as something we make in our cells.
There is a particular molecular complex called inflammasome which researchers at the University of North Carolina have found actually triggers inflammation or irritation to occur in cells. This inflammasome can be triggered by things like asbestos, cancer causing chemicals and palmitate.
Palmitate is a fatty acid found in high fat diets.
The North Carolina researchers think that our body reacts to the palmitate and turns on inflammasome which in turn makes the body attack itself and interfere with the way insulin works on the cells in our body.
This is lots of science in just a few sentences but the take home message is that this helps explain how obesity can be linked to the development of diabetes.
Reported By Dr. Brian McDonough, KYW Newsradio Medical Editor
