Cellulite and nutrition

The Edemato-Fibro-Sclerotic Panniculopathy (or cellulite), is a progressive degeneration of the subcutaneous tissue due to different factors. It is therefore the aspecific symptom of a much more important systemic disorder, which originates at cellular level and extends to the entire organism causing damage to the connective tissue and the Extra-Cellular Matrix (ECM). Unhealthy diet and non-optimal nutritional status can lead to impaired mitochondrial function, reduction of lean mass and modification of ECM, which plays a fundamental role in the transmission of all biochemical signals that modulate proliferation, differentiation, survival and cell migration. This condition can have severe long-term negative effects, among which, the imbalance between the production and the elimination of reactive oxygen species by antioxidant defense systems, anomalous tissue repair and remodeling phenomena governed by inflammatory cytokines and premature ageing. Furthermore, the diet strongly influences the composition and the fluidity of the cell membrane, on which depend the most important biochemical functions of the organism. Reduced membrane fluidity leads to lower receptor sensitivity, the primary cause of insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, metabolic disorders, immune and hormonal imbalances. Recent studies suggest that different biochemical markers (oxytocin, vasopressin, PDNF / GDNF, PPAR-a, PPAR-γ, PPAR-δ, RXR, PGC1-α, anandamide, NarPE, CB1 / CB2 and sphingolipids) could be used as indices of cellular suffering or as mediators to support future personalized dietic-therapeutic strategies