Hormonal
Weight loss and insulin resistance increase the release of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from adipose tissue into circulation, potentially causing adverse metabolic and cardiovascular effects that counteract the benefits of fat loss.
If you are overweight and have a high body burden of environmental chemicals (common in modern diets), rapid or intensive weight loss may temporarily increase your exposure to these toxins, potentially offsetting early health gains. To mitigate this, focus on strategies that help eliminate POPs, such as increasing dietary fiber (especially lignins from whole grains), ensuring good bile flow (e.g., through time-restricted feeding or exercise), and reducing intake of high-POP foods like fatty animal products. Avoid yo-yo dieting, as weight cycling repeatedly mobilizes these toxins.
Two common situations occur in which POPs are released at a higher rate than normal from adipose tissue into the circulation: (1) weight loss and (2) insulin resistance.
Why this rating
The paper is a review citing observational and animal studies; direct human intervention data on POP elimination is limited.
Source
Persistent organic pollutants in adipose tissue should be considered in obesity research
Yu‐Mi Lee et al. · Obesity Reviews · 2016
DOI 10.1111/obr.12481
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