A Scientific Solution To Unsightly Cellulite

Ideally, an herbal cream to combat cellulite should target the three main causes of cellulite that have been identified. These are excess fat deposition, weakened connective tissue support structure, and poor circulation. There are seven compounds that may be especially promising as a multi-modal approach to correct the underlying causes of cellulite. The first is Glycyrrhetinic acid, a compound derived from licorice root that targets fat storage in response to stress. Next horse chestnut and gotu kola improve circulation, while also supporting connective tissue integrity. All three compounds have additional benefits that may improve the appearance of cellulite prone skin, including antioxidant and antiinflammatory activity. While the combination of glycyrrhetinic acid, horse chestnut, and gotu kola has demonstrated favorable anti cellulite effects, scientists have discovered four additional nutrients that have demonstrated profound fat-reducing benefits a key missing link to resolving cellulite.

Fat storage and breakdown are controlled by two sets of special receptors called alpha and beta receptors on the surface of each fat cell, or adipocyte. Regulated by the hormone epinephrine, beta-adrenergic receptors promote fat breakdown (lipolysis), where  alpha-adrenergic receptors prevent fat breakdown and promote fat storage. In the case of cellulite fat, the alpha receptors outnumber the beta receptors. Women also tend to have more fat-storage alpha receptors than fat-breakdown beta receptors in the hips and thighs  so that storage exceeds breakdown in these areas. This  helps cause swelling of the stored fat within cells. Stimulation of these receptors also leads to changes in a crucial fat-breakdown enzyme called hormone-sensitive lipase. This enzyme is located directly in the fat cell and is activated when beta receptors are stimulated, breaking down triglycerides in fat to release free fatty acids and glycerol into the bloodstream. Conversely, alpha-receptor stimulation inhibits this enzyme and promotes fat storage. Aerobic exercise improves the ability to mobilize and break apart triglycerides for energy use, whereas obesity makes the fat-breakdown enzyme hormone  sensitive lipase less sensitive to epinephrine.

Cellulite, which affects the majority of adult women  is now regarded as an unpleasant vestige of unhealthy eating and sedentary lifestyle. Scientists have discovered that cellulite arises from a number of age-related physiological changes. Gender differences in hormonally influenced fat deposition as well as effects of the stress hormone cortisol, connective tissue differences in skin between men and women, and poor circulation and lymphatic drainage all compromise skin integrity. As a result, the the layer of skin beneath the outermost layer (dermis)  weakens in cellulite prone areas, paving the way for swollen fat cells to protrude to the surface. Many currently available products marketed for cellulite treat this disorder as a purely cosmetic problem. However, products designed to treat cellulite need to also address the physiological basis of the condition.