Oct. 22, 2014 -- Dropping extra pounds has long been a goal for people who want to improve their health and appearance. But a different type of fat -- called brown fat -- may help us lose weight.
Researchers recently found that cold temperatures may help us make more of this “good fat” that can boost our metabolism and burn calories.
We asked experts to weigh in on the potential benefits.
What is brown fat?
It's a type of body fat that creates heat. It's reddish-brown in color because it's packed full of the power producers in cells, called mitochondria, which give cells energy by turning calories into heat.
"Everyone is born with brown fat. Babies have an abundance of it. It helps keep them warm as they exit the womb," says Philipp Scherer, PhD. He's a professor of internal medicine and cell biology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas. "But people tend to lose brown fat as they get older." Why? Researchers are still trying to figure that out, Scherer says.
Brown fat might make up a small amount of an adult's total body fat. But more and more studies are showing that some adults have higher levels of brown fat than expected.
It's sprinkled in between areas of white body fat, usually in the:
- Neck
- Upper chest
- Shoulders
How is it different from white fat?
- Brown fat burns calorie-loaded fats called lipids.
- White fat is a "bad" fat that stores those lipids, creating unhealthy belly fat and thicker thighs.
How do I know if I have brown fat?
There's no easy way to tell. You can't see it by just looking at your body. In the past, researchers have seen it when doing biopsies on babies and rats. But as body imaging methods have advanced, so has the ability to view brown fat.
"When radiologists started doing PET [imaging] scans, they started seeing areas in adults that they couldn't identify as cancer or inflammation," says Anastasia Kralli, PhD. "Those areas turned out to be brown, or beige, fat in adults." Kralli is an associate professor of chemical physiology and cell biology at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, CA.
How can you gain brown fat?
Turn your thermostat down a few degrees, or possibly take a brisk walk in the winter. Evidence shows that as the temperature drops, the amount of calorie-burning brown fat goes up. But experts say there may not be a recommended temperature, and the impact of how long you stay in the cold isn't clear.
A small study earlier this year suggested that long-term exposure to cold may spur brown fat growth, while warmth appeared to suppress it. Researchers followed five men ages 19-23 for 4 months and set the temperature in the rooms where they slept.
source : The Body Fat That Might Help You Shed Pounds
