The Study
Submucosal fat accumulation in human colorectal tissue and its association with abdominal obesity and insulin resistance
This study found that people with extra belly fat and high insulin levels also tended to have more fat in their colon. But it didn't prove that belly fat causes the colon fat — they just happened together in these patients. It's like noticing that people who wear sneakers often have dirty socks — it doesn't mean sneakers make socks dirty.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
This study looked at fat inside the colon tissue of people with polyps or cancer and found that the more overweight or insulin-resistant they were, the more fat they had in a specific layer of their colon.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 544 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — this suggests that metabolic dysfunction like obesity and insulin resistance may cause fat to build up in places it shouldn't, like the colon, which could help explain why obesity raises colon cancer risk.
- 2People with higher BMI had more fat droplets in their colon's submucosal layer.
- 3Those with higher insulin and HOMA-IR had higher triglyceride levels in colon tissue; adiponectin (a protective fat hormone) was lower in these people.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
United European Gastroenterology Journal
Year
2018
Authors
Seriko Wada, Y. Yasunaga, K. Oka, N. Dan, Eri Tanaka, K. Morita, E. Masuda, K. Yanagawa, H. Matsumoto, S. Yoshioka, M. Tsujie, Y. Inui, S. Kawata
Related Content
Claims (6)
Persistently high insulin levels lead to impaired metabolism and increased fat storage, while short-term increases in insulin stimulate the building of muscle protein.
In people with colorectal polyps or cancer, lipid droplets are regularly found in the submucosal layer of the colon, and their quantity increases as body mass index, waist size, and visceral fat increase.
In people with colorectal polyps or cancer, higher levels of adiponectin in the blood are associated with lower levels of triglycerides stored in colorectal tissue.
In people with colorectal polyps or cancer, higher fat buildup in the colon tissue is linked to higher body weight, higher blood insulin levels, greater insulin resistance, and lower levels of adiponectin in the blood.
In people with colorectal polyps or cancer, higher levels of triglycerides relative to phospholipids in colorectal tissue are associated with higher fasting insulin and insulin resistance, but not with total cholesterol levels.
In people with colorectal polyps or cancer, lipid droplets are found only in the submucosal layer of the colon tissue and can be identified using a specific staining technique called perilipin immunohistochemistry.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.