What do lipids reveal regarding our overall health and the way we age
Lipids are fatty substances that form one of the elements needed for the creation of living cells as well as aiding with various important tasks.
While most research has been focusing specifically on genomes and the impact on the various molecules that are found in every cell, including proteins and RNA lipids aren’t affected by the DNA.
Researchers from Stanford University say lipids can be used to determine indicators of health as well as aging, disease and.
Alongside other essential molecules Trusted Sources in the body, such as carbohydrate, protein as well as enzymes and amino acids, lipids are essential for the normal functioning of your body.
Lipids — like cholesterol and triglycerides are fat-based compounds that play a crucial role in a variety of bodily functions. They are also an integral part of the elements that make up the Trusted Source that are required to produce living cells.
Researchers at Stanford University say certain lipids can be used to determine indicators of health or disease as well as the aging process.
The study was published recently by the publication Nature Metabolism.Trusted Source.
What are the lipids?
Lipids are oily or fatty compounds that are not dissolved when dissolved in liquids. They form the cell membranes of every cell of the body and are vital to numerous cell functions.
Lipids remain understudied
According to Dr. Michael Snyder, the Stanford W. Ascherman Professor in Genetics at Stanford University and the lead researcher for this research, even though they are essential in many biological processes, they’re not fully understood.
“Lipids are very understudied,” He explained to Medical News Today. “They have a hand in almost every aspect, but because they’re heterogeneous, and there’s a huge amount varieties, you aren’t aware of what the lipids actually do. .”
In this study, Prof. Synder and his team went deep into what’s known as the lipidomeTrusted Source, which covers all kinds of lipids that are taken from the plasma of an individual.
Since lipids are influenced by the food a person consumes and the microbes in the gut, they may undergo changes and affect the overall health of the body.
For instance, a study released in September 2022 in the journal of Trusted Source discovered that exercising can have an effect on the lipids that are affected through aging, and could perhaps reduce dementia in the brainTrusted Source.
Other research, published in April 2022Trusted Source, discussed how lipidomics — the study of the lipidome — could potentially be used to help design therapies for inflammatory diseases, such as like neurodegenerationTrusted Source and autoimmune diseases.
How does the lipidome is changed
In this study, the researcher, Dr. Snyder, and his team performed an analysis of over 100 participants, most of whom were considered to be at high risk of the development of the disease. Participants were monitored for a period of up to 9 years. They were also took blood samples each 3 months when healthy, and at least every couple of days during ailments.
Utilizing mass spectrometry-based trusted source Researchers have profiled more than 800 kinds of lipids, and their connections with the aging process, insulin resistance, viral infection as well as other variables.
They also discovered that each individual’s lipidome possesses a distinct fingerprint that stays constant over time, however certain kinds of lipids change in a predictable manner with the state of health.
“We did not know but it seems plausible that our lipidome would be highly variable and heavily affected by diet,” Dr. Snyder told MNT. “In the final analysis, it appears to be extremely stable and individual. It can change depending on health issues .”
For instance, scientists discovered more than 200 lipids that change throughout the course of a respiratory virus infection, according to Trusted Source. They also discovered lipids that can aid in identifying insulin resistance, which can cause type 2 diabetes.
The study participants were the entire range of ages, ranging from 20 years old to 79 years old researchers also observed that people’s the lipidome alters with age.
For instance, they found that the majority of lipids, including cholesterol, rise with age; however, a handful of lipids, like omega-3 fats actually decrease with the aging process.
The Dr. Snyder said knowing how changes in lipids occur as you age is crucial as it will help doctors monitor how individuals age.
“Many lipids are inflammatory markers and follow how those shifts can be valuable for health measurements,” said the doctor. “We are able to identify individuals who are carrying markers that could differ from everyone elsewhere. These could be signs of a disease.”