Fat cells stockpile lipids, but they’re not inert storage silos. Fat is a dynamic tissue in constant communication with the body and brain. Fat cells send signals that help the brain assess nutrient stores and determine whether to conserve energy, expend it, or seek out more.
Our fat — how much of it we have, and how healthy it is — has been linked to the health of other organs, including the brain. But what connects fat to brain health remains unknown. Work from the laboratory of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center biologist Akhila Rajan, PhD, suggests that mitochondria, the cell’s energy-generating power plants, could form one link between fat and overall health.
