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Nikhil Prasad  Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Dec 18, 2024  2 hours, 41 minutes ago

Exercise Hormone Irisin Offers Hope for Health and Disease Management

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Exercise Hormone Irisin Offers Hope for Health and Disease Management
Nikhil Prasad  Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Dec 18, 2024  2 hours, 41 minutes ago
Medical News: Scientists have discovered a powerful hormone called irisin, which is released by our muscles during physical activity. This hormone, derived from the protein FNDC5, has fascinated researchers worldwide due to its incredible ability to improve health, combat diseases, and help our bodies function better. Irisin has been linked to preventing obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, and even Alzheimer’s disease. Its discovery highlights why exercise is so beneficial and how the body responds positively to physical activity.


Exercise Hormone Irisin Offers Hope for Health and Disease Management
Image: AI-Generated
 
This Medical News report will take you through how irisin works, its impact on the body, and what this could mean for future therapies.
 
Where Does Irisin Come From
Irisin is a hormone that is released when our muscles contract during exercise. It is cleaved from a parent protein called FNDC5, which is found in muscle tissue. Scientists initially thought it was a signal for fat-burning, but they now understand that irisin is much more powerful. It helps different organs, such as bones, muscles, the brain, and even the liver, work together better. Researchers from IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation and the National Research Council in Rome, Italy, have studied irisin’s unique properties and its role in maintaining our overall health.
 
The hormone gets its name from Iris, the Greek messenger goddess, symbolizing its ability to communicate between muscles and other parts of the body. This article will explain how irisin helps us stay healthy and what happens when levels of irisin drop in the body.
 
Irisin and Metabolic Health
Irisin plays a vital role in energy metabolism. It helps turn white fat (which stores energy) into brown fat (which burns energy to produce heat). This process is known as browning and can help people lose weight and maintain a healthy metabolism. Researchers have found that individuals with higher irisin levels are better able to manage blood sugar and insulin levels. This is crucial for preventing diseases such as type 2 diabetes.
 
Irisin also protects the body from oxidative stress, which is damage caused by harmful molecules called free radicals. By reducing oxidative stress, irisin helps improve mitochondrial function—the energy factories of our cells - and enhances the body’s ability to use insulin effectively.
 
Interestingly, studies have shown that obese individuals or people with diabetes often have lower levels of irisin. This could be because their bodies become resistant to the hormone, much like insulin resistance in diabetes. Therefore, increasing irisin levels through exercise could be an effective way to treat these metabolic disorders.
 
Irisin’s Impact on Bones and Muscles
Muscles and bones are closely connected, working as a team to support movement and physical strength. However, conditions like sarcopenia (muscle loss) and osteoporosis (bone thinning) can weaken this team. Scientists have found that irisin can stimulate bone formation and improve bone density. Thi s is especially important for older adults, who are at a higher risk of fractures.

Irisin promotes osteogenesis, the process of creating new bone tissue. It does this by activating pathways that increase the growth of bone-forming cells called osteoblasts. Studies have shown that patients with fractures had higher levels of irisin during the healing process. The hormone appears to act like a signal, helping muscles and bones communicate to speed up recovery.
 
For muscle health, irisin helps reduce inflammation and promotes the repair of muscle fibers. This could make it a promising therapy for age-related muscle loss or conditions like muscular dystrophy.
 
Irisin and Brain Health
One of the most exciting findings about irisin is its potential to protect the brain. Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease are a growing concern worldwide, especially among older adults. Scientists have discovered that irisin plays a protective role in brain health by reducing inflammation and protecting neurons from damage.
 
Research has shown that irisin can reduce the toxic effects of amyloid-β proteins, which are the main culprits behind Alzheimer’s disease. These proteins form plaques in the brain, leading to cell damage and cognitive decline. Irisin also stimulates the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that supports brain function and memory. Higher levels of BDNF have been linked to better cognitive performance and reduced symptoms of depression.
 
In animal studies, increasing irisin levels improved memory and reduced brain inflammation. Researchers believe that exercise, which boosts irisin production, is one of the reasons why physically active people have a lower risk of developing dementia.
 
How Irisin Fights Inflammation
Inflammation is a common factor in many diseases, including obesity, diabetes, arthritis, and Alzheimer’s disease. Irisin has a powerful anti-inflammatory effect. It reduces the production of harmful molecules that cause chronic inflammation and oxidative stress.
 
For example, irisin reduces the activity of NF-κB, a protein that triggers inflammation. It also helps shift immune cells to a more anti-inflammatory state, reducing damage caused by the immune response. This could make irisin a useful therapy for chronic inflammatory conditions.
 
What Makes Irisin Special
Irisin is unique because it acts like a messenger that connects muscles, fat, bones, and the brain. By promoting exercise-like benefits in the body, irisin mimics the effects of physical activity at a cellular level. This makes it particularly exciting for people who cannot exercise regularly, such as older adults or individuals with limited mobility.
 
Future of Irisin as a Therapy
While irisin’s discovery is still relatively new, its potential for treating diseases is enormous. Scientists are now exploring ways to develop irisin-based therapies that could help fight obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer’s disease. However, more research is needed to fully understand how irisin works in humans and how it can be used safely as a treatment.
 
Conclusion
Irisin has emerged as a powerful hormone with wide-ranging benefits for our health. From improving metabolism and promoting strong bones to protecting the brain and fighting inflammation, irisin is a remarkable discovery that highlights the importance of physical activity. Researchers from IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation and the National Research Council in Italy believe that irisin could hold the key to new therapies for some of the world’s most challenging diseases.

By connecting muscles, fat, bones, and the brain, irisin serves as a messenger that promotes overall health and well-being. Its ability to protect against neurodegeneration, improve energy balance, and stimulate bone growth makes it a promising candidate for future treatments. For individuals unable to exercise, irisin-based therapies could offer hope for better health and a higher quality of life.
 
The study findings were published in the peer-reviewed International Journal of Molecular Sciences.
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/25/24/13480
 
For the latest on Irisin, keep on logging to Thailand Medical News.
 
Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/brazilian-study-finds-that-the-hormone-irisin-produced-during-exercising-can-prevent-covid-19-disease-severity-by-modulating-host-genes
 
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/covid-19-news-brazilian-study-uncovers-the-role-of-organokines-in-covid-19

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