A gene in the brain called Bmal1 helps control weight. When scientists turned off this gene only in a certain type of brain cell (tanycytes), mice that ate a fatty diet gained less weight than usual.
See the scientific wording
Loss of function of the Bmal1 gene specifically in tanycytes inhibits weight gain in animals consuming a high-fat diet.
Correlational — new studies may shift this
Observational2 low-scoring studies link this claim to the outcome, but causation is not established.
What the research says
2 studies reviewedSupporting (2)
Tanycyte Bmal1 sex-specifically regulates weight gain and hypothalamic neurogenesis in female mice
Cohort StudyAnimal
Scientists turned off a gene in a specific brain cell in mice and found that female mice gained less weight on a fatty diet, but male mice didn't change. So the effect is only for females.
Tanycyte BMAL1 regulates high-fat diet weight gain and shapes arcuate neurogenesis in female mice.
Cohort StudyAnimal2026
Turning off a specific brain cell's clock gene helped female mice gain less weight on a fatty diet, but it didn't help male mice. So the study mostly supports the idea for females, but not for all mice.
Contradicting (0)
No contradicting studies found yet
That doesn't mean it's settled — it just means no study has tested the opposite.
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Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 2 supporting studies
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