Body Fat Helps Control Blood Pressure, New Studies Find

Your body fat is working hard to keep you healthy, and scientists are only now understanding how complex its job really is.

Two new studies reveal that fat tissue acts like a sophisticated organ, performing tasks that go far beyond storing extra calories. Researchers found that certain types of fat help control blood pressure while others work alongside your immune system to protect your gut.

The first study mapped fat tissue surrounding the large intestine in multiple locations. Scientists at Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm discovered this intestinal fat is packed with immune cells that respond to signals from your gut bacteria. Think of it as a security system that monitors what's passing through your digestive tract and activates immune responses when needed.

"Having fat tissue nearby that can sense, respond to, and help coordinate immune reactions could provide an additional layer of protection," says researcher Jutta Jalkanen. Everyone has this protective fat surrounding their intestine, regardless of body weight.

The second study focused on blood pressure control. Researchers at The Rockefeller University studied the fatty layer that wraps around blood vessels, which is rich in beige fat cells. When mice lost this beige fat, their blood vessels became stiffer and overreacted to normal hormonal signals, causing high blood pressure.

The team identified a specific enzyme released by dysfunctional fat cells that damages blood vessels. When they blocked this enzyme, blood pressure returned to normal in the mice, regardless of their weight.

Why This Inspires

These findings flip the script on how we think about body fat. For decades, doctors viewed fat as simply excess storage that needed to be eliminated. Now science shows it's an active participant in keeping us healthy.

"When I started working in this field in the late 1990s, the prevailing view was that fat was just a simple bag of cells that stored excess nutrients," says Paul Cohen at The Rockefeller University. The shift recognizes fat as a complex tissue with many different cell types performing diverse jobs throughout the body.

The research opens doors to new treatments that focus on restoring fat's beneficial functions rather than just reducing its amount. Future therapies might target specific fat deposits, improve communication between fat and immune cells, or maintain healthy beige fat activity.

Kristy Townsend at The Ohio State University notes the studies emphasize a need for nuanced understanding of how fat impacts health, independent of body mass index overall.

Scientists continue exploring how to harness fat's protective powers for better health outcomes.