by University of California – San Diego These colored streaks are mitochondrial networks within fat cells. Researchers from UC San Diego discovered that a high-fat diet dismantles mitochondria, resulting in weight gain. Credit: UC San Diego Health SciencesThe number of people with obesity has nearly tripled since 1975, resulting in a worldwide epidemic. While lifestyle factors...
BRIGHAM AND WOMEN’S HOSPITAL A high body mass index (BMI) is closely correlated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. For decades, nutrition guidelines have emphasized the necessity of decreasing intake of dietary fats. Yet, even as studies demonstrate ties between foods laden with simple carbohydrates and metabolic dysfunction, much remains unknown about how the...
Every cell contains a herd of hundreds of mitochondria, organelles descended from ancient symbiotic bacteria. The primary purpose of mitochondria is to package the chemical energy store molecule adenosine triphosphate (ATP) that is needed to power cellular processes. Each mitochondrion contains one more copies of a small circular genome, the mitochondrial DNA. This mitochondrial DNA is unfortunately poorly protected and repaired in...
