Brown Fat: The Unique Body Fat That Helps Shed Pounds and How To Activate It

Posted by Lori Shemek; January 7, 2017

What most people think of when they hear the word ‘fat’, is the white fat, the jiggly stuff that stubbornly sits there on the body and it doesn’t look so great. But research now confirms there is another little known type of  fat called ‘brown fat’ that cutting-edge research is showing as a game-changer when it comes to our metabolism and weight loss.  Activated brown fat contains mitochondria (our cells powerhouses) that melts away white fat, leaving your body leaner. Brown fat has a plethora of benefits including a positive effect on balancing blood sugar and helping us control secretion of appetite-boosting hormones. 

Each of us carries some brown fat. but babies (brown fat is an important heat source) and lean people seem to carry the most. We used to think only babies had brown fat.  Thanks to ongoing notable research, we now know that we not only carry it, but can activate and increase it.

Each type of fat has different functions:

• White adipose tissue (white fat) cushions your organs, provides heat insulation and produces energy.
• Brown adipose tissue (brown fat) regulates body temperature and plays an important role in fat loss.  Brown fat burns calories, decreases inflammatory belly fat, improves heart health, balances blood sugar levels.
  

6 Ways To Increase Brown Fat To Lose Weight:

Avoid Under eating or Over eating. Eating too little or too much can inhibit brown fat activity. 

Exercise. Exercise has now been shown to increase activity of brown fat, increase brown fat and increase the hormone Irisin which has the ability to help white fat essentially mimic brown fat’s positive effects. 

Spend Time Outdoors. Research shows a “lack of exposure to temperature variation” could be a contributor to low brown fat stores. Get outside no matter what the temperature.

Keep Your Environment Cool. Keeping the temperature in your home around 65 degrees has been shown to activate and increase brown fat stores as well as going outside in the cold or taking cold showers.  In fact, research shows that exposure to cold dramatically alters the composition of bacteria the gut, and this leads to fat-burning.

Get Consistent Quality Sleep. A lack of sleep triggers weight gain and the most inflammatory – belly fat. Research shows that melatonin helps lower obesity in rats even without affecting food intake and activity, suggesting it’s the brown fat that’s responsible. 

Drink Green Tea.  Green tea helps to activate brown fat, boost metabolism and promote weight loss. Green tea has many health benefits outside of weight loss including improved brain function, fat loss, a lower risk of cancer and more.

 

©2017 DLS HealthWorks, LLC.  Lori Shemek, PhD health expert and weight loss expert.  Author of How To Fight FATflammation! and the best-selling author of  ‘Fire-Up Your Fat Burn!’