Cocaine may affect the way the body stores fat

Conclusion This study suggests that despite taking in more calories, and eating more fat and carbohydrates, cocaine users have a lower fat mass than non-users. The researchers suggest that this shows some underlying difference in how their bodies process fats, possibly due to lowered levels of leptin, rather than having a reduced appetite. There are some points to note when interpreting these findings: The researchers did not assess the men’s physical activity to see if this could account for the cocaine users’ reduced fat mass. They suggest that as the cocaine users’ lean mass (which includes muscle mass) was not higher, then physical activity was unlikely to be solely responsible for the reduced fat mass. However, as cocaine is a stimulant, levels of physical activity should be assessed to identify what effect it could be having. The study was cross sectional, therefore it cannot tell us what the men’s eating habits or body compositions were before they started using cocaine. It also doesn’t tell us what happens when they stop using the drug. It does not show that leptin is responsible for the changes seen as the level of leptin did not differ significantly between the two groups. The single assessment of diet may not reflect the men’s diets over a longer period. Despite eating more, it is also not clear whether cocaine use has any effect on food absorption – for example, cocaine can cause constipation, and use of laxatives (which reduce ...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Lifestyle/exercise Food/diet Mental health Source Type: news