Why Good Fat Needs a Hormone Helper
Fibroblast growth factor 21 increases insulin sensitivity through specific expansion of subcutaneous fat
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Your body has different kinds of fat. One kind under the skin (good fat) helps keep you healthy. A hormone called FGF21 helps this good fat grow when you eat too much, which keeps your body responding well to insulin.
Surprising Findings
Higher FGF21 in obesity may be protective, not a sign of resistance
Most assume high hormone levels mean resistance (like insulin), but here, high FGF21 correlates with better health — challenging the idea of 'FGF21 resistance'.
Practical Takeaways
Support your body’s natural metabolic defenses by prioritizing metabolic health over just weight loss — focus on insulin sensitivity through diet and exercise.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Your body has different kinds of fat. One kind under the skin (good fat) helps keep you healthy. A hormone called FGF21 helps this good fat grow when you eat too much, which keeps your body responding well to insulin.
Surprising Findings
Higher FGF21 in obesity may be protective, not a sign of resistance
Most assume high hormone levels mean resistance (like insulin), but here, high FGF21 correlates with better health — challenging the idea of 'FGF21 resistance'.
Practical Takeaways
Support your body’s natural metabolic defenses by prioritizing metabolic health over just weight loss — focus on insulin sensitivity through diet and exercise.
Publication
Journal
Nature Communications
Year
2018
Authors
Huating Li, Guangyu Wu, Q. Fang, Mingliang Zhang, X. Hui, Bin Sheng, Liang Wu, Y. Bao, Peng Li, A. Xu, W. Jia
Related Content
Claims (6)
Your body makes a hormone called FGF-21 when under stress, and it helps control how sensitive you are to insulin and how much belly fat you store — but how and how long it’s turned on really matters.
Some people who are obese but still respond well to insulin have higher levels of a hormone called FGF21 in their blood compared to obese people whose bodies don’t respond as well to insulin—even though they weigh about the same.
Giving a specific protein (FGF21) to mice that can't make it themselves helps them process sugar better and regain healthy fat levels, especially when they're on a bad diet.
In people with obesity who still respond well to insulin, higher levels of a hormone called FGF21 are linked to having more fat under the skin, but not around the organs. This link wasn’t seen in people whose bodies don’t respond well to insulin.
Mice that can't make a certain protein called FGF21 don't gain as much fat under the skin when eating a greasy diet — even though they gain the same amount of belly fat and muscle as normal mice.