Remember the overweight ‘fat controller’?

We so often talk about ‘emerging science’. That’s no surprise given that we rely on science to push forward the boundaries of human knowledge. When a particular scientific view has been around for a while, we assume it’s survived the test of time and we often accept it as fact. But history tells us that facts accepted in one era may be proven wrong in the next. The relationship between saturated fats, cholesterol and heart disease is one such example.

Our pieces this week relate to two other areas. The first is about the health hazards of remaining seated too long, something too many of us do for far too much of the time. It was only a few years ago that most health experts were adamant that overweight and obesity where simply down to eating too many calories and not expending enough energy. It’s actually not as simple as that as you’ll find out – and among many different gene-environment interactions involved, our energy-producing organelles (mitochondria) appear to play a key and often understated role.

Our second story looks at the emerging science on an oil, Omega-7 or palmitoleic acid, as a master ‘fat controller’ in the body that’s beginning to find popularity in health stores as a supplement. Chances are, based on precedent, that it will take health authorities around the world years to be more accepting of the new revelations about this hormone-like, signalling molecule. But, given the difficulty of getting health claims related to emerging science approved by authorities like the EFSA and the FDA, you’ll be unlikely to see too many health claims on commercial products for a while at least.

Stay bang up to date and check out this week’s news too…

In health, naturally

Rob Verkerk, PhD

Founder, executive & scientific director