246 | id == 246
246 | category_id == 18
246 | category_order == 15
246 | category_name == Weight
246 | category_color == #C47AC0
246 | slug == LYPLAL1-weight
246 | title == Could This Puzzling Enzyme Protect Against Obesity? (LYPLAL1)
246 | meta_description == LYPLAL1 is a mysterious protein that may affect the formation of different types of fat. What is its link to obesity?
246 | summary == <p><strong>LYPLAL1 is a mysterious protein that may affect the formation of different types of fat. What is its link to obesity and metabolic health? Find out here.</strong></p>
246 | overall_score_text == Weight Score (based on LYPLAL1)
246 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/LYPLAL1--Weight.jpg
246 | author_id == 1
246 | author_name == Jasmine Foster
246 | author_title == BSc, BEd
246 | author_order == 36
246 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Jasmine.jpg
246 | author_intro == <p><strong>Jasmine received her BS from McGill University and her BEd from Vancouver Island University.</strong></p>    <p>Jasmine loves helping people understand their brains and bodies, a passion that grew out of her dual background in biology and education. From the chem lab to the classroom, everyone has the right to learn and make informed decisions about their health.</p>
246 | reviewer == None
246 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
246 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
246 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
246 | publish_date == 2020
246 | publish_date == 7
246 | publish_date == 13
246 | avg_rating == 5.0
246 | tags_id == 492
246 | tags_name == Fat Deposition
246 | tags_id == 454
246 | tags_name == Gut Microbiome
246 | tags_id == 547
246 | tags_name == LYPLAL1 Gene
246 | tags_id == 141
246 | tags_name == Metabolic Health
246 | tags_id == 165
246 | tags_name == Obesity
246 | tags_id == 115
246 | tags_name == Weight Gain
246 | tags_id == 184
246 | tags_name == Weight Loss
246 | permissions_favorite == False
246 | permissions_rate == False
246 | content_article == <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">This article is for informational purposes only. None of the information here should be taken as medical advice. If you are struggling to maintain a healthy weight, seek medical help. </span></em><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Keep in mind that these results are based on association studies, which are correlative and aren&rsquo;t necessarily causative. Any single genetic variant will typically contribute only a small proportion to the overall risk of the condition, and non-genetic factors play a large role in developing a condition as well. Therefore, just because you have one of these genotypes does not necessarily mean you are at an increased risk of developing this condition!</span></em></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">What is LYPLAL1?</span></h2> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">LYPLAL1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> encodes lysophospholipase-like protein 1 (also abbreviated LYPLAL1), which is believed to be an enzyme with some kind of metabolic function. Researchers currently aren&rsquo;t sure exactly what it does, though they have a few theories based on the structure of the protein and genetic association studies [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5769613/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3021872/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3000924/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6281622/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A possible role for this protein is in liver metabolism. One study found that inhibiting LYPLAL1 in animals resulted in their livers producing more </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/glucose/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">glucose</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, a state associated with diabetes. Differences in </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">LYPLAL1 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">expression have also been linked to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) [</span><a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acschembio.6b00266"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6494784/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another hypothesis with support is that LYPLAL1 plays a role in fat tissue production and distribution: genetic studies have found that mutations in this gene are associated with increased abdominal fat and a larger waist compared to height. What&rsquo;s more, these associations hold in both animals and humans [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3021872/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3000924/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, mice without LYPLAL1 are not over- or underweight and do not have any visible differences in the way they produce fat tissue. This may not be the case in humans, but so far, we have no way to tell. One possible explanation researchers have offered is that LYPLAL1 serves an overlapping function with a similar protein&mdash;and that both proteins must be mutated for an effect to be obvious [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5769613/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">LYPLAL1 is poorly understood, but researchers believe it plays a role in liver metabolism and the production of fat tissue.</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">How Does LYPLAL1 Affect Weight Gain?</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the uncertainty around its exact function and importance, LYPLAL1 has been associated with fat distribution and waist circumference. Furthermore, its expression is dependent on sex and appears to change in animals as they become obese [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3021872/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3000924/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25958046/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Male and female mice express LYPLAL1 differently, with much higher expression in the fat around the testes than the uterus. When animals of either sex gain weight, LYPLAL1 expression is significantly reduced in fat around the sex organs, but increased in new fat cells. Strangely, the authors of this study found no interaction between LYPLAL1 and </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/ppargamma-role-weight-gain-inflammation-natural-activators/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">PPARG</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, a gene which is well known to affect fat distribution [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25958046/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Human genetic association studies also suggest an effect on fat distribution. Some variants have been linked to increased or decreased abdominal fat, while others may affect the deposition of visceral vs. subcutaneous fat. Visceral fat (fat that builds up deep in the abdominal cavity, around the organs) is considered the &ldquo;more harmful&rdquo; type of fat, whereas subcutaneous fat (fat that builds up right underneath the skin) might actually be protective against diabetes and other conditions [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3110388/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3349734/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6702693/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">All of this is to say that researchers suspect that LYPLAL1 participates in the production and distribution of fat tissues, but they don&rsquo;t yet know how.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">LYPLAL1 appears to affect whether fat is stored as visceral fat (around the organs and potentially harmful) or subcutaneous fat (under the skin and possibly protective).</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">LYPLAL1 Variants &amp; Obesity</span></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At least three </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">LYPLAL1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> variants have been associated with weight gain and fat distribution.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele at </span><a href="../../../snp/rs2605100"><span style="font-weight: 400;">rs2605100</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> has been associated with obesity and accumulation of fat in the abdomen. The &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele at </span><a href="../../../snp/rs4846567/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">rs4846567</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> has been associated with increased waist circumference relative to height, another measurement of fat deposition in the abdomen. In both cases, the &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele is the more common allele, suggesting that the uncommon variants could be somewhat protective against obesity [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3110388/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Finally, </span><a href="../../../snp/rs11118316/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">rs11118316</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> appears to predict the distribution of visceral vs. subcutaneous fat. At this SNP, the &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele is linked to increased visceral fat (potentially harmful), whereas the &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele is linked to increased subcutaneous fat (potentially protective) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3349734/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Your Weight Results for LYPLAL1</span></h2> <p>*7079987221557225*</p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">SNP Summary and Table</span></h3> <p><strong>LYPLAL1 rs2605100</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Associated with relatively higher rates of obesity &amp; accumulation of fat in the abdomen</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; = Associated with relatively lower rates of obesity &amp; accumulation of fat in the abdomen</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>LYPLAL1 rs11118316</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Associated with relatively less visceral fat and more subcutaneous fat</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; = Associated with relatively more visceral fat and less subcutaneous fat</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>LYPLAL1 rs4846567</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Associated with relatively larger waist measurement compared to height</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Associated with relatively smaller waist measurement compared to height</span></li> </ul> <p>*5187876700919225*</p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Recommendations for Improving Fat Distribution</span></h2> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">You may try the complementary approaches listed below if you and your doctor determine that they could be appropriate for you. Discuss the strategies listed here with your doctor. Remember that none of them should ever be done in place of what your doctor recommends or prescribes.</span></em></p> <p>*7610694689813251*</p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Exercise</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some limited evidence suggests that physical exercise might reduce the expression of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">LYPLAL1 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">and help reduce visceral fat mass. The best results for visceral fat mass reduction were achieved through high-intensity exercise [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5688489/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2730190/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">High-intensity exercise is probably the best strategy to </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/a-comprehensive-list-of-effective-ways-to-lose-weight/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">lose weight</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. In addition to promoting fat burning, the increased </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/norepinephrine-stress-hormone/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">norepinephrine</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> production may suppress food intake according to a study in rats [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/5124188"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Being active burns calories and jump-starts metabolism. Some studies suggest it also </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/a-comprehensive-list-of-natural-ways-to-increase-bdnf/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">increases </span></a><a href="../../article/boost-plasticity-with-the-bdnf-gene-50"><span style="font-weight: 400;">BDNF</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which supports mental health and might cause us to eat less [</span><a href="http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/neuro.24.005.2010/full"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/top-14-proven-health-benefits-exercise-references-mechanisms/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Exercise </span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">also increases </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/endorphins/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">endorphins</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which activates mu-opioid receptors and also suppresses appetite [</span><a href="http://www.news-medical.net/news/20120717/Mu-opioid-receptors-put-brakes-on-appetite.aspx"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Aerobic exercise (like walking, running, swimming, etc) has also been shown to cause major reductions in belly fat in multiple studies [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17637702"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21951360"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although the reason is not fully understood, </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/health-benefits-yoga/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">yoga</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> can be a useful tool for </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/a-comprehensive-list-of-effective-ways-to-lose-weight/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">weight loss</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> too [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4995338/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5098025/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">,</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5198375/"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">High-intensity exercise may reduce the expression of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">LYPLAL1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, prevent the formation of visceral fat, and accelerate weight loss.</span></span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fruits &amp; Vegetables</span></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Researchers have found a link between certain detrimental </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">LYPLAL1 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">variants and lower relative abundance of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Prevotella</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, a type of beneficial </span><a href="https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/gut-bacteria-microbiome/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">gut bacteria</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. People with more </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Prevotella</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in their intestines (compared to other species) tend to have less fat mass and to lose weight more easily [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6363528/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31504699/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Prevotella</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> species are not readily available in </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/probiotics-good-bacteria/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">probiotics</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. However, you can promote the growth of these beneficial bacteria by adding more plant foods to your diet: people who eat </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/16-nutrients-vegans-arent-getting/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">vegetarian</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/16-nutrients-vegans-arent-getting/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">vegan</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> diets tend to have more </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Prevotella</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> than omnivores. More generally, the polysaccharides abundant in fruits and vegetables promote </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Prevotella</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> growth [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6478664/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6121872/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vegetables are rich in soluble fiber, which has been shown to cause weight loss in some studies. Fiber gets broken down by bacteria in the digestive tract to produce </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/health-benefits-butyrate-derivatives-sodium-butyrate-phenylbutyrate-trybutyrine-butyric-acid-butyrate-prodrugs-butyrate-producing-bacteria/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">butyrate</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which has weight loss effects in animals [</span><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S019566639790091X"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18031592"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21810257"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2699871/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fruits are good, too. In a study of 91 obese individuals, eating half a fresh </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/grapefruit/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">grapefruit</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> before meals caused weight loss of 3.5 pounds (1.6 kg) over a period of 12 weeks [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16579728"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Polyphenols from various fruits (including </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/blueberries-health-benefits/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">blueberries</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and apples) led to lower weight in animal studies as well [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23936120"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23529981"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Prevotella</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> bacteria have been associated with weight loss and are less abundant in the gut of people with detrimental </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">LYPLAL1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> variants. The growth of these bacteria can be promoted with a plant-rich diet.</span></span></p>
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246 | content_learn_more_5187876700919225_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your LYPLAL1 gene is moderately associated with fat distribution and mass. However, this doesn't necessarily reflect your overall risk of obesity, just one gene related to it. High-intensity exercise and plant-based foods may help; read on to learn more.
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rsIDs = rs11118316,rs4846567,rs2605100
rsStatus = rs11118316,LYPLAL1-AS1,chr1,219483821,G,A,,,17,8,HET
rsStatus = rs4846567,,chr1,219577375,G,T,,,29,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs2605100,LYPLAL1-AS1,chr1,219470882,A,G,,,9,31,HET
