The general public in Oswaldtwistle, as well as all over the world, has seen a dramatic shift in understanding about fat and its impact on our bodies. Previously, fat was singled out as the chief enemy in our diet, but it’s now widely acknowledged that there are good and bad fats. Furthermore, the role of fat as a vital macronutrient, fulfilling essential body functions, is now widely recognized.
However, there is another layer of complexity in understanding the fat in our bodies: the difference between brown fat and white fat. The idea that fats come in different colours may be news to many, but the scientific study on brown fat has been ongoing and the term ‘brown fat’ is becoming increasingly familiar in conversations ranging from exercise to cold water immersion.
Before we delve into its benefits, let’s first comprehend what this brown fat means.
Formally referred to as brown adipose tissue (BAT), brown fat is a distinct type of fat tissue, a shade darker than the common white fat. The primary function of white fat is to store energy for the body, while brown fat, being more metabolically active, plays an essential role in warming us and aiding in calorie burn, thus being an active participant in our weight management regimes.
The body’s fat composition varies among individuals, with a relatively small brown-fat percentage compared to white fat. However, athletes and individuals with lean body types tend to harbour more brown fat.
A concise comparison between white and brown fat is offered by Dr. Ben Bikman in a video:
Benefits of brown fat
Brown fat serves a crucial function in heat generation for body’s blood, thereby providing multiple health benefits.
1. Enhanced calorie burn: Brown fat cells are loaded with mitochondria – considered the cell’s powerhouse. This enables them to burn more calories to produce heat, assisting in weight management.
2. Stable body temperature: Brown fat produces heat to warn the body’s blood, which is particularly useful in cold weather where it breaks down blood sugar and fat molecules to generate heat. This process, termed thermogenesis, helps maintain body temperature.
3. Improved insulin sensitivity: The activation of brown fat escalates the body’s metabolic rate, inducing a negative energy balance. This can relieve metabolic health conditions such as insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
Ways to naturally enhance brown fat
Given the benefits, it’s clear that brown fat is pretty handy to have around – happily, we can naturally increase its quantity in our bodies with a few simple steps.
1. Reduce the temperature: Right before you start to shiver, brown fat comes into action under cooler temperatures. Hence, exposing yourself to colder settings, like dialing down your thermostat, taking a cold shower, or taking a cold dip, can kick-start your brown fat to help burn more calories.
2. Follow a nutritious, balanced diet: An integral part of your health goals, irrespective of what they are, is a sound diet. Emphasize healthy fats and fibre-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables. Foods replete with iron such as meat, leafy greens, and beans, should also be part of your diet to maintain healthy fat cells. Ultra-processed foods should be avoided to aid metabolic health and brown fat function.
3. Regular exercise: Regular exercise impacts brown fat activity and can aid in transforming white fat to beige fat, a process where white fat simulates brown fat’s behaviour. Hence, ensure your heart rate is elevated each day.
4. Consume yerba mate: Yerba mate has been used for generations for its mood and energy enhancement properties. Current studies depict that it can suppress hunger and may increase the stored fat used for energy production. A study on Unimate, Unicity’s highly purified yerba mate drink, revealed that subjects who consumed Unimate saw a significant decrease in cellular energy and metabolic efficiency compared to those who just drank water. This implies that the fat cells were likely burning energy to generate heat, on the lines of the thermogenic process of our brown fat cells. More about the study can be studied here.
The conclusion: opting for brown fat for metabolic health
Activation of brown fat has shown considerable potential as a method to control weight and enhance metabolic health because of its unique calorie-burning ability and energy regulation process. Keep these tips at your disposal to maximize the benefits from the brown fat in your body. These tips are as valuable in Oswaldtwistle as they are anywhere else globally as the principles of metabolic health and weight management are universal.