Omentin
Omentin is an anti-inflammatory adipokine produced mainly by visceral fat tissue; its levels fall in obesity and rise with better insulin sensitivity.
Plain English
Patient-Friendly Explanation
Omentin is a hormone-like protein made mostly by the fat that wraps the abdominal organs. Unlike most fat signals, higher omentin tends to accompany better health: it calms inflammation, helps muscle and liver cells respond to insulin and helps blood vessels relax. People with more visceral fat, and people with type 2 diabetes, usually have lower omentin levels, and levels tend to rise after weight loss or weight-loss surgery.
Medical
Clinical Definition
Omentin, also known as intelectin-1, is a 313-amino-acid adipokine secreted predominantly by the stromal vascular fraction of visceral adipose tissue and also expressed in the small intestine, ovary and endothelium. Circulating levels are reduced in obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic disease, and correlate inversely with waist circumference, HOMA-IR, C-reactive protein and tumour necrosis factor alpha. In vitro, omentin-1 activates AMP-activated protein kinase and Akt signalling in adipocytes and hepatocytes, enhancing insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, and promotes endothelium-dependent vasodilation through nitric oxide while suppressing vascular cell adhesion molecule-1. Levels rise after diet-induced weight loss and after bariatric surgery. Omentin remains a research biomarker rather than a routine clinical test; because it is produced preferentially by visceral rather than subcutaneous fat, it is studied as a marker of metabolically harmful fat distribution.
Key Insight
Why It Matters
Omentin is a neat illustration of why where fat sits matters more than how much there is: the same visceral depot that drives cardiovascular risk secretes less of this protective signal.
Sources
Reviewed against standard medical references.
Medically reviewed by
Family Physician & Registered Acupuncturist, Accord Medical Clinic. MBBS (NUS), Graduate Diploma in Family Medicine (NUS), Graduate Diploma in Acupuncture (Singapore College of TCM).
Last reviewed: September 2026
This page is general health education, not medical advice. Whether any treatment is appropriate for you is a decision made in consultation after assessment.
