Fat is good!

Well, fat is good in at least some small way. Scientists have recently discovered that a protein called adiponectin that’s produced by fat cells plays a heretofore unrecognized role in helping us stay healthy: it helps your body clear itself of the billion-cells-a-day that die off as part of your body’s natural cleansing routine.

Imagine that? Our own body processes can cause inflammation if they don’t operate efficiently–just the way your immune system goes haywire in an allergic reaction. This discovery may help scientists understand a lot more about autoimmune diseases as well as conditions like diabetes and heart disease that are believed to be connected with poor clearance of dead cells.

It’s good to know that fat isn’t all bad. Of course, now this will undoubtedly lead up to even more precise prescriptions of how much is too much. I’m sure we all can’t wait.