Not all the fat in your body has to be a swelling repository of calories tucked behind your belt. With a twist of the wrist, you can convert some of it into a calorie-burning furnace that helps you lose weight – just turn down the heat in your house this winter.
A study at the University of Kentucky School of Medicine in Lexington shows that if you are exposed to cold temperatures, some of the white fat you carry around in your thighs and belly can shift into beige fat, a type of tissue that burns off calories to produce body heat. However, if you are already drastically overweight and obese, your body’s ability to make beige fat may be very inefficient.
Beige Fat Explained
Beige fat is sort of a hybrid form of fat that shares the characteristics of both brown and white fat. Brown fat, also called brown adipose tissue (BAT), is a specialized type of fat that burns energy and sugar to help heat the body. Babies use their brown fat to stay warm.
While white fat normally can’t burn calories to heat the body, under some circumstances, such as when you are exposed to chilly temperatures, it can assume some of the features of brown fat.
The Study on Turning White Fat to Beige Fat
“In this study, we wanted to investigate whether human adults had the ability to transform some white fat deposits into beige fat when they were exposed to cold,” says researcher Philip A. Kern. “Browning fat tissue would be an excellent defense against obesity. It would result in the body burning extra calories rather than converting them into additional fat tissue.”
The research showed that belly and thigh fat that was analyzed in the winter months had genetic markers showing that it was functioning as beige fat. In the summer, the body fat displayed lower levels of these genetic markers.
But this seasonal change was less effective in people who were obese. The researchers believe that excess inflammation caused by large amounts of fat tissue when you are overweight hampers the conversion process.
Inflammation Hinders Conversion of White to Beige Fat
“Our findings indicate inflammation can hinder the conversion of white to beige fat,” Kern says. “When we analyzed tissue samples in the lab, we found that exposing white fat to macrophage cells from the immune system inhibited the transformation.”
Benefits of Beige Fat
There are several reasons why converting white fat into beige fat can be very beneficial for your health. The most significant advantage of beige fat is its ability to burn calories, leading to increased weight loss. Additionally, it can help improve insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism, which can prevent or manage Type 2 diabetes. Beige fat can also protect the body from hypothermia by producing heat.
How to Convert Your White Fat to Beige Fat
Here are some steps you can take to transform your white fat into beige fat:
- Expose Yourself to Cold: As the study suggests, exposing your body to colder temperatures can trigger the browning process. Turning down the thermostat in your house during winter months, taking cold showers, or spending time outside in chilly temperatures are all ways to activate this process.
- Exercise Regularly: Exercise has been shown to increase the expression of proteins associated with beige fat. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five times per week to activate this process.
- Get Enough Sleep: A lack of sleep has been linked to an increase in white fat storage and a reduction in the browning process. Aim for 7-9 hours per night to support beige fat conversion.
- Consume Foods Rich in Resistant Starches: Foods such as green bananas, cooked and cooled potatoes, and legumes contain resistant starches that can help increase beige fat through thermogenesis.
- Eat a Diet High in Healthy Fats: Consuming foods high in healthy fats, such as avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil, can support the conversion of white fat to beige fat.
In conclusion, understand that not all fat within your body has to be seen as detrimental to your overall health. By following these simple tips, you can unlock the potential of beige fat, turning your body into a calorie-burning machine while also promoting weight loss, and improving health markers such as insulin sensitivity. So, go ahead and turn down your thermostat to kick-start the transformation of your body fat.
