As we continue to increase our knowledge about human health in general and specifically in the town of Chatburn, we’ve made significant strides in our understanding of fats and their impact on the body. While in previous years, fat was demonized and completely shunned, recent knowledge has enlightened us that there are good fats and bad fats; fats that are indispensable macronutrients and fulfil essential functions within our body.
Now, the new discussion revolves around the comparison between brown fat and white fat. If you weren’t aware that fat is differentiated by its different hues, don’t worry, you’re not alone. This has only come to prominence via the persistent efforts of scientists who’ve studied brown fat intensively and realized its potential benefit for our health, thus making it an increasingly common ingredient in discussions surrounding workouts and enduring cold exposure.
Brown fat, also known as brown adipose tissue (BAT), stands distinct due to its darker shade compared to the conventional, white fat. Contrary to white fat, brown fat is more metabolically active, with an essential responsibility of keeping us warm and incinerating calories, aiding significantly in controlling our weight. Although the amount of brown fat in comparison to the white is smaller, we can notice a larger portion of it in athletes or lean-bodied individuals.
To break it down in a more comprehensive and engaging manner, Dr Ben Bikman elucidates the difference between brown fat and white fat further in this short video:
Health benefits associated with Brown Fat
Brown fat is primarily responsible for body thermoregulation which has multiple benefits.
1. Supports Calorie burning:
The multitude of mitochondria in brown fat cells enables them to burn calories and generate heat, proving beneficial for weight management.
2. Maintains body temperature:
Due to its thermal regulatory function, brown fat produces heat to warm our blood in colder temperatures. Brown fat uses blood sugar and fat molecules for heat production through thermogenesis, facilitating body temperature maintenance.
3. Promotes Insulin Sensitivity:
Brown fat activation increases the body’s metabolic rate, allowing energy balance maintenance and curing metabolic health issues like insulin resistance and Type 2 Diabetes.
Ways to stimulate Brown Fat naturally
The significance of brown fat makes it crucial to retain it. The following procedures can assist in enhancing it naturally:
1. Embrace colder temperatures:
Brown fat gets activated in colder temperatures. Thus, cold showers or exposure to freezing environments can stimulate brown fat, accelerating calorie burning.
2. Balanced Diet intake:
Health goal accomplishment relies significantly on nutrition. Affecting metabolic health and promoting brown fat function requires an emphasis on healthy fats, fruits, vegetables, and iron-rich foods like meat, leafy greens, and beans, while simultaneously avoiding over-processed food.
3. Regular Exercise:
Frequent exercise helps in stimulating brown fat activity. It also aids in converting white fat into beige fat (which mimics brown fat’s behaviour).
4. Consumption of Yerba Mate:
This beverage has long been consumed for its mood and energy-boosting benefits, and recent research also suggests its potential in supporting satiety and burning stored fat. A study conducted with Unimate, an ultra-purified yerba mate drink by Unicity, revealed that those who consumed Unimate experienced a significant decrease in cellular energy and metabolic efficiency compared to water drinkers. This suggests a high probability of fat cells burning energy to generate heat, following the thermogenic process similar to brown fat cells.
Summing it up, the activation of brown fat has become an integral part of metabolic health and weight management discussions, thanks to its specific ability to accelerate calorie burning and regulate energy expenditure. So, bear these tips in mind to maximise the benefits of the brown fat in your body, whether you’re in Chatburn or elsewhere.