Researchers at the University of Michigan have discovered that the cells with higher living longer than the compact cells with less fat. These findings provide clues to the causes of the phenomenon known as the "obesity paradox" when overweight people have lower mortality rates than slim people.

After studying yeast cells, experts have found that fat cells helps to get rid of harmful free radicals, molecules that can damage DNA, which is one of the causes of aging. It has been found that cells with high fat diet were more resistant to external factors, better retain their integrity and had less common growth defects that could interfere with their normal development. Although the study was carried out on yeast cells, experts believe that this process can be observed in other species of living beings, including humans.

Thus, the fat may play a key role in protecting cells from damage that can accumulate over time and lead to aging.