New findings in Sweden say that eating too much of the wrong food can switch off the gene that helps muscle cells burn fat. In some cases, this process can lead to Type 2 Diabetes.
A team at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm is examining a process called “epigenetics.” This is where a person alters their DNA by what they eat.
Lead researcher Juleen Zierath said tests indicate that if a person eats a diet rich in fat, such a diet could trigger a breakdown in fat-burning genes within muscle cells. In time, the breakdown could disable those genes, and decrease a person’s metabolism. The breakdown could also cause a decrease in the mitochondria of muscle cells, which is sometimes seen in Type 2 diabetics.
Zierath admits more research is needed. And, soon she hopes to examine muscle biopsies from obese people before and after they have weight loss surgery. This will help show her and other researchers if differing diets have separate effects on genes that help burn fat.
