In adults, higher levels of cadmium in the blood are associated with a slight increase in waist-to-height ratio and conicity index, which indicate more fat around the waist, and also with a small...
Mechanism
Synthesis from 1 study
Cadmium builds up in belly fat and makes fat cells store more energy while also making the body less able to use sugar from the blood. This causes more fat around the waist and lower blood sugar at the same time, even if overall weight doesn’t change.
Most probable mechanism
Cadmium in the blood interferes with how fat cells store and release energy, causing fat to build up around the waist, while also making the body less responsive to insulin, which lowers blood sugar levels even as fat increases.
Cadmium accumulates in adipose tissue and disrupts mitochondrial function, reducing energy expenditure and promoting lipid storage in visceral depots.
Cadmium binds to and alters the activity of insulin signaling proteins, impairing glucose uptake in muscle and fat cells while sparing liver glucose production.
Altered insulin signaling reduces systemic glucose utilization, leading to lower fasting blood glucose levels despite increased central fat accumulation.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
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Associations between exposure to environmental pollutants, metabolic syndrome risk, and obesity-related anthropometric indices.
Contradicting (0)
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