Brown Fat May Help to Trigger Weight Loss

All fats are not created equal. Even in the human body, different types of fats work in different ways. Researchers have understood the role of brown fat in energy metabolism for some time, but they’ve hit a few hurdles trying to figure out how to use the information to our benefit. A new breakthrough could change that, allowing more people to use brown fat to trigger weight loss and improve metabolic function. 

Types of Human Fat

According to the National Institutes of Health, the majority of fat in our bodies is white fat, the tissue that causes obesity when it builds to excessive amounts. We use white fat to store excess energy. But brown fat is different, and it exists only in small amounts in a few areas of the body. When we’re cold, the body triggers brown fat to burn energy to keep us warm.

The more researchers uncover about this type of body tissue, the more benefits they find in its activation. Many believe understanding how to make the best use of its properties could be the key to treating numerous metabolic disorders including obesity and diabetes. Now, thanks to some innovative researchers, we may have moved one step closer toward realizing that goal.

Harnessing the Power of Brown Fat

Understanding how brown fat works isn’t the same as determining how to trigger it, and up until recently, research was hitting one dead end after another. Now, scientists may have figured out why. In a study recently published in Cell Metabolism, researchers explain that previous reliance on mouse models may have been the source of the problem. While mice use brown fat the same ways humans do, they seem to have different chemical triggers.

The study focuses on the beta2-adrenergic receptor (b2-AR), which may be able to activate brown fat and, as a result, improve insulin sensitivity as well as help to increase metabolism. Specific chemicals can activate this receptor, which prompts the brown fat cell activity. Being able to prompt activity in these areas opens up the very real possibility of new therapy avenues. Further studies into the applications of activated brown fat, now that researchers knowhow to activate it, could create opportunities for exciting new medications.

Science Daily reports that a clinical trial seeking out the possible benefits of using brown fat to combat type 2 diabetes will soon be underway.

Metabolic disorders are a serious problem in the United States, with the majority of the population falling into at least one risk group. Altering how our bodies use brown and white fats could be a game-changer for countless people. Imagine a weight-loss pill that actually does what it says, and works on diabetes in the process. That may sound far-fetched, but it could be coming as they push further into these areas.

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