Brown Fat: Key to Weight Loss?Monday, 23 Sep 2013 09:18 AM
Five
years ago, you’d have had a hard time finding many health reports on
something called “brown fat.” Today, it’s hard to avoid headlines
hailing it as an obesity-busting miracle.
The New York Times, WebMD,
and Popular Mechanics have all carried articles extolling
its virtues. Books — like Dr. James Lyons’ best-selling The
Brown Fat Revolution — have flooded the market.
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But what exactly is brown fat, why is it getting so much attention,
and what can you do to put it to work for you?
“The reason we are hearing about brown fat now is because until
recently it was believed that brown fat was found in rodents and
human infants who use the brown fat as a method of staying warm,”
Vandana Sheth, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, tells Newsmax Health.
“However, three [research] groups recently found that brown fat is
found in adults, and we now believe there might be a link between
higher brown fat and helping people stay lean.”
Good Fat, Bad Fat
Brown fat — also called brown adipose tissue (BAT) — is one of two
primary types of fat in the body, the other being the familiar
“white” or “yellow” fat you pile on when you gain weight.
We’re all born with brown fat — concentrated around the back, neck,
and shoulders — and it is believed to help maintain our core
temperature by burning calories and fat reserves to generate body
heat. Until recently, scientists thought BAT disappeared in
childhood. But five years ago, researchers found that brown fat is
also present in adults and it is turned on by cold temperatures,
exercise, and some foods. Because of its fat-burning properties, BAT
has become the focus of intense scientific research.
Studies have found when BAT is switched on it can produce 300 times
more heat than any other organ in the body. Women and lean younger
people have more brown fat than men or heavier older individuals.
Turning on Brown Fat
Researchers are now investigating a wide range of techniques to
activate brown fat. British scientists at the University of
Nottingham have found individuals who immerse parts of their bodies
in ice water can switch on the brown fat in their bodies.
Columbia University scientists have determined it is possible to
convert yellow-white fat to brown with a class of drugs called
thiazolidinediones, now used to lower blood sugar in Type 2
diabetes. Other researchers are now assessing whether lowering body
temperatures turns on brown fat and leads to weight loss.
Michael Symonds, who is heading up the brown-fat studies at
Nottingham, predicts the new research will revolutionize obesity
treatment and lead to new techniques based on managing BAT with
nutrition, exercise, environmental, and therapeutic techniques. He
envisions a day when certain foods that switch on BAT are labeled
with a “thermogenic index” to alert consumers to their fat-burning
benefits.
Experts suggest the following strategies to activate brown fat:
•
Lower the temperature in your home, office, and car.
•
Exercise in a cold room or outdoors in the winter.
•
Consume cold drinks, particularly while exercising (avoid hot
drinks).
•
Eat chili peppers, which contain capsaicin, which prompts brown fat
to burn more calories.
•
Eat more yogurt, milk, and
cheese. Dairy products have been shown to activate brown fat.
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The complete version of this article first appeared in
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