Fats are the nutrients that give food flavor, but a high-fat diet promotes the accumulation of mature fat cells in the skin, called adipocytes or lipocytes. However, the growth of such tissue in the dermis impairs the skin’s resistance to Staphylococcus aureus infections. This gram-positive bacterium
except on the skin
is also located in
respiratory
roads, but
usually
does not cause
problems
The colony of the pathogen leads to infections only under reduced immunity or other adverse conditions. One such negative factor for skin infections can be obesity. As fat cells grow, they lose the ability to adequately fight bacterial invasion. That’s according to a new U.S. study by the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Gallo Laboratory at the University of San Diego School of Medicine in California.
The list of diseases and conditions that can be complicated by obesity is long. It includes heart disease, diabetes and impaired wound healing, certain cancers, and skin infections. However, it is not always clear how this concomitant condition is provoked.
The new study reveals the mechanisms by which obesity and skin infections are linked. In addition, the team is identifying a treatment option that will soon be tested in a phase 2 clinical trial.
The work focuses on finding the links between infections and the epithelial microbiome – the community of normal non-pathogenic bacteria that live on our skin, and
how protective
system of
the skin can
to be
optimized
for the treatment or prevention of inflammation.
In a publication in Science Transitional Medicine, the team reported that the increased number of mature fat cells enhances the expression of a type of cytokine called transforming growth factor (TGF) beta. This in turn reduces the number of skin adipocyte precursors that produce an antimicrobial peptide called cathelicidin.
This deficit
leaves
epidermis
vulnerable to
infection from
ordinary
bacteria
as Staphylococcus aureus.
The team is not satisfied with the finding and is looking for a solution for obese people who already have a skin problem. Their strategy is to borrow elements from the microbiome of the skin of healthy people. New agents that block the action of the culprit cytokine and stem cell therapy are being tested.
And yet – scientists remind – the best treatment is prevention. They do not mean giving up fat. “Fat is not harmful in all cases. Healthy adipocytes are needed by the body to fight infection, explains lead researcher Dr. Ling Zhuang Zhang. – Fortunately,
fat cells
are plastic
and adjustable
Thanks to this, the antimicrobial activity of obese fat cells can be restored through interventions such as switching to a healthy diet, more exercise and, if necessary, targeted therapies. As an example of such treatment, Dr. Zhang gives stem cells. Their potential can be used to regenerate healthy fat cells
to produce
antimicrobial
peptides
in oily skin and thus help in the fight against infection.
The team’s findings revive interest in foods that maintain skin health. There is a consensus in the dermatological community that there are enough fats among them. As part of a balanced diet, they promote elastic skin with an adequate microbiome as a skin barrier. In fact, this film of good bacteria on the skin has the role of insulation, which protects from external aggression not only her but the whole body. Keeping her in good health is the least dependent on cosmetics. In the first place are moisturizing and nourished from within. The diet that the skin loves necessarily includes good monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, complete protein, foods rich in vitamins A, E and C, minerals zinc and selenium. In addition to quality as a composition, the diet for healthy skin is also moderate in quantity. The theoretical measure according to modern nutrition science
at moderate
physical
activity is to
2000 calories per
day for women
and about 2500
for men
For the health of the skin and the preservation of its immune functions, a suitable choice is often to include in the menu a lot of fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and especially foods that contain more than one “good” substance.
Such combinations of nutrients are found in many delicacies. Affordable and useful combinations provide:
Oily fish (mackerel, salmon, sardines, tuna) – their good omega-3 fats are supplemented with easily digestible protein and a decent amount of selenium. Due to the price of fish, and the lack of eating habits in most families often exchange friendly advice on fish oil. It is not good to “write” it blindly. According to nutritionists, drinking in this form of
fish oil
it can be bad
idea if you are
of medication
for dilution
of blood
or you have an immune problem. Consult;
Nuts and seeds – Most have balanced proportions of omega-3 fatty acids – vitamins A and E – selenium. They are very useful, but also very high in calories. About 100 calories are hidden in just 100 grams of nuts / seeds. So: limit yourself to a handful a day, enough for good health;
Eggs – a brilliant combination of complete protein, vitamins A and E, minerals selenium and zinc;
Leafy green vegetables (spinach, salads, arugula, dock, watercress) – a mix of vitamins A, C and E, garnished with omega-3 fats, and selenium;
Olives and avocados and their oils – healthy unsaturated fats and vitamin E, and in raw avocados and vitamin C;
Bean foods (lentils, chickpeas, beans) – a perfect vegetable protein with the addition of zinc and fiber.
With the coronavirus pandemic, interest in zinc is particularly pronounced and most people take supplements with such a component. Pharmacists, however, warn that as a dietary supplement
outside the food
zinc can
to lower
the effect of some
antibiotics Consult.
In the context of the skin, zinc deficiency may seem like eczema, but you will know that it is an internal cause when the itchy rash is not improved by moisturizers and steroid creams.
– .
