Dietary changes may treat obesity by giving mitochondria a boost

• Obesity is a growing problem worldwide, with the United States having one of the highest levels of obesity in the world.
• Low-grade chronic inflammation, often caused by dysfunction of white blood cells called monocytes, increases the risk of many health conditions in people with obesity.
• A small-scale study has found that some dietary interventions can enhance the function of mitochondria in monocytes, reduce inflammation and modify gut bacteria.
• Further research is needed to assess whether these findings may help in the treatment of obesity.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO)Trusted Source, worldwide obesity rates have more than doubled over the past 30 years.

Globally, 16% of adults are now living with obesity. Formerly an issue in only high-income countries, such as the United States, where more than 40% of adultsTrusted Source have obesity, obesity is now prevalent in middle-income countries as well.

According to current guidelines, people with obesity have a body mass index (BMI)Trusted Source — a measure of body fat based on height and weight — of more than 30.

Obesity is linked to several health conditionsTrusted Source, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, and some cancers.

Chronic low-grade inflammationTrusted Source is a feature of obesity, and researchTrusted Source has found that monocytes — a type of white blood cell that plays a key role in immune responses — are a cause of this inflammation.

Now, a small-scale clinical trial in Mexico has found that some diets can improve the energy use of these monocytes leading to increased weight loss.

The study is published in Clinical Nutrition.

Eamon Laird, PhD, an assistant lecturer in nutrition at ATU Sligo, Ireland, who was not involved in this study, told Medical News Today that:

“The findings are very interesting as a novel pilot study for much larger and in depth studies. It provides the potential that change of diet in the form of calorie restriction, intermittent fasting, and ketogenic diet could have significant benefits both for metabolic health and the microbiome. However this is on early pilot data.”