Do you realize that we have different types of fat in our bodies and each one has different properties? White fat, which is what tends to stretch pants to the limit and spill over the waist, stores energy. There is no surprise there. You also have some brown fat, which gets its color from its iron content. Brown fat also contains more mitochondria, which are known as “the powerhouse of the cell.” You can think of them as the “engines” of brown fat that burn calories and generate heat.
So while the white fat becomes a kind of insulation, the brown fat is active. Babies have a lot of brown fat. Most adults have variable amounts, but not that much. Thinner people tend to have higher amounts than fatter people, but whether or not this is genetic is not known.
According to one study, 15 minutes in the cold could be the metabolic equivalent of an hour of exercise. The researchers, in this study, observed healthy men and women exercising in a 65°F laboratory. Later, those same study participants lay on a bed as the temperature dropped to 53°F. In both tests, these people’s muscles contracted (they were shaking!), releasing the hormone irisin, which is produced in skeletal muscle. This hormone increases body heat and creates brown fat cells from existing white fat cells.
This finding puzzled the researchers. They speculated that since the ancient biological survival mechanism of shivering, triggered by cold, helps us maintain our core temperature, preventing hypothermia, it might stimulate the release of irisin. They designed tests to find out if shivering rather than exercise was the main driver of irisin secretion. It turns out that irisin is produced by muscle contractions. So whether it’s working out or shaking doesn’t really matter. Once produced, it circulates through the blood, turning white fat cells brown.
What is encouraging about this information is that the researchers found that the response to cold exposure can be activated by even minute changes in temperature. In this study, they demonstrated that simply lowering the thermostat from 74°F to 68°F was enough to generate a measurable increase in energy expenditure. Thirty seconds of cold water on your upper back and neck after a hot shower, if you don’t have heart problems, is also an easy way to achieve this.
Or maybe you just continue to be active and exercise, turn down the thermostat a bit and go for a short walk each day in the winter weather (dressed well of course) to get the benefit of a bit of cooler air and hopefully , some sun. right.
Another study found that curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, is capable of inducing the darkening of white fat cells. In addition to its anti-inflammatory properties, this research indicates that curcumin appears to be an anti-obesity agent due to its ability to support brown fat and reduce inflammation, which is implicated in obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. This is a great find.
There are numerous ways to add turmeric to your meals, as well as take it in supplement form or even drink it as a tea, thus taking advantage of its many benefits, including the stimulation of brown fat.
Here are some simple ways to stimulate and support the activation of fat-burning brown fat. Choose the method that’s right for you and reap these health benefits in the process.