When you make the environment around fat cells from rats saltier using table salt, the cells don’t break down fat as much when they’re told to by a stress hormone—but they still break down fat at the same normal rate when left alone.

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Pro

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Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

12

Community contributions welcome

12

Simulated hyperglycemic hyperosmolar syndrome. Impaired insulin and epinephrine effects upon lipolysis in the isolated rat fat cell.

Cohort Study

Animal

1979 Mar

The study found that when they made the fluid around rat fat cells saltier using just salt (not sugar), the fat cells still released the same amount of fat at rest, but didn’t respond as strongly to the hormone that tells them to break down fat. This matches the claim exactly.

Contradicting (0)

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No contradicting evidence found

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Source Study

Simulated hyperglycemic hyperosmolar syndrome. Impaired insulin and epinephrine effects upon lipolysis in the isolated rat fat cell.

Score: 12

DOI: 10.1172/JCI109316

Similar Assertions

When you pump a lot of sugar and salt into the environment around fat cells from rats, those cells become less responsive to the hormone epinephrine that normally tells them to break down fat—like the hormone’s signal gets weaker.

12

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78%

When rat fat cells are flooded with extra sugar and salt, the hormone epinephrine can’t make them release fat as well — it cuts the fat release in half.

12

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74%

When rat fat cells are bathed in a super-sweet, salty solution, insulin doesn’t work as well to stop adrenaline from making the cells release fat — even when insulin is at normal levels.

12

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71%