In the town of Burnley, as in societies globally, we have come a long way in our awareness and understanding of fats and their impacts on the body. Many years ago, fats were feared and avoided wherever possible, but these days it is well-understood that there is a distinction between good and bad fats and that fat is a critical macronutrient performing vital functions for our bodies.
When it comes to the types of fat found in the body, the notion of brown fat versus white fat may be new to you. You’re not alone if you weren’t aware that fats can come in different colours. Scientists, for quite some time now, have centred their research on brown fat, making it increasingly prevalent in discussions ranging from exercise regimes to cold water immersion therapies.
Brown fat, or brown adipose tissue (BAT), has revealed significant benefits for our bodies. But first, let’s delve a little deeper into what brown fat is all about.
Identifying brown fat?
This specialised fat tissue, known formally as BAT, is slightly darker in hue than the typical white fat. Instead of primarily storing energy like white fat does, brown fat is metabolically active. It plays a crucial role in both warming us up and assisting the body in calorie burn, making it a significant contributor to our weight management strategies.
The percentage of fat within the body varies across individuals, but all of us possess a small portion of brown fat compared to white fat. Those who are athletes or have lean body types tend to possess more brown than others.
Here is a short video by Dr Ben Bikman, explaining further the differences between white and brown fats.
Understanding the benefits of brown fat
Brown fat has the primary responsibility of heating our blood offering numerous benefits.
1. It helps to burn more calories.
Brown fat cells are packed with mitochondria, the cell’s dynamo, which allows them to incinerate calories to generate heat, thus aiding in weight moderation.
2. It helps to maintain the body’s temperature.
In cold conditions, brown fat metabolises blood sugar and fat molecules to produce heat. This process known as thermogenesis, helps in sustaining your body temperature.
3. It helps to improve insulin sensitivity
The activation of brown fat increases the metabolism rate, promoting a negative energy balance that can alleviate issues like insulin intolerance and type 2 diabetes.
Here’s how you can naturally boost your brown fat levels
Brown fat is undoubtedly beneficial, and we can naturally increase it within our bodies by undertaking a few steps.
1. Lower your ambient temperature
Brown fat activates at cooler temperatures, just before you commence shivering. Placing yourself in a colder environment – be it by reducing the central heating, taking a cold shower, or taking a plunge in a cold river can stimulate the brown fat and help you burn more calories.
2. Eat a balanced diet of healthy foods
Regardless of your healthcare goals, nutrition will be a crucial factor in achieving them. Prioritise healthy fats and fibre-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables. Iron-rich foods like meat, leafy greens and beans help to maintain healthy fat cells, so make sure these are part of your meals as well. To support metabolic health and brown fat function, it is best to steer clear of ultra-processed foods.
3. Regular physical activities
Regular exercises can affect brown fat activities and can help to convert white fat to beige fat, a process where white fat mimics the way brown fat behaves. Be sure you are challenging your heart rate each day.
4. Consume yerba mate
Yerba mate, popular for its mood-boosting and energy-giving benefits, has been consumed for generations. Recent studies propose it can promote satiety and potentially increase the amount of stored fat burned for energy. Unicity’s ultra-purified yerba mate drink showed that subjects who consumed Unimate experienced a significant decrease in cellular energy and metabolic efficiency compared to subjects that just drank water, meaning that the fat cells were likely burning energy to produce heat, similar to the process of thermogenesis in brown fat cells.
Activating brown fat is emerging as a promising objective for metabolic health and weight management. This is thanks to its unique ability to burn calories and regulate energy output. Incorporate these strategies into your lifestyle to gain maximum benefits from the brown fat in your body, whether you’re in Burnley or elsewhere.