proteins sequesters palm fat

2024-08-14 09:13:23

The palm fat or butter – that palm oil is never so-called, because it is solid at room temperature – has significant experience increasing its global production in recent years. Therefore, although 43 million tons were produced in 2009, in 2023 it will reach 79 million, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. This consolidates it as the most used fat in human nutrition.

Its omnipresence is enhanced by the fact that it is a fat of vegetable origin, obtained from the plant. Elaeis guineensisas well as its low production cost. Being solid at room temperature, it is easy to transport to any remote place on the planet and is also more stable, because only the outer surface is exposed to atmospheric action.

From a biochemical point of viewmade up of three saturated fatty acids – that’s why it’s solid – linked to glycerol. The most abundant fatty acid is precisely the one that gives it its name, palmitic acid, a molecule with 16 carbon atoms.

What happens when this type of fat is consumed?

Up to this point we could think that we are looking at the perfect fat. However, a few years ago it was found that repeated consumption of the fatty acids in palm oil was associated higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease.

In addition, studies in animal models show a cause-effect relationship between the consumption of fats and palmitate in development atherosclerosis when Western-style diets are consumed with animal products rich in cholesterol. Which doesn’t happen with him cholesterol free diets. That is, exposure to palmitic can have health consequences, especially for non-vegans. In addition, its consumption promotes body weight gain in mice with larger adipocytes, and blood glucose increases.

Palm fat is digested in the digestive tract because pancreatic juice contains lipase which releases palmitic acid. This is absorbed directly in the intestine and enters the blood, which it distributes to the various tissues.

Palmitic binds to our proteins through the amino acid cysteine ​​in a process called palmitoylation. But what proteins does it bind to exactly? We are not completely clear yet.

It has recently been shown to bind to STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3in English) and does increase the potential for tumor aggressiveness. In addition, modification of various proteins through palmitolization suppress the immune response cancer immunotherapy. On the other hand, when it sticks another human protein called gasdermin Dreasons for the inflammatory processes.

and the list of molecules that are affected when palmitic acid enters our body it never stops growing. So much so that they are already starting to talk about it in the scientific community palmitoleoma to refer to a series of proteins modified by the action of this fatty acid.

One detail to remember is that not everyone responds in the same way. Whether our proteins contain cysteine ​​or not, but also whether certain proteins are active or not. enzymes able to eliminate the palmitic that invades uswe distinguish between responding and non-responding individuals.

Therefore, one of the main challenges facing researchers is to find out which people can be careless and eat palm oil like a person who drinks water and should avoid it at all costs.