Obesity seems like a normal occurrence although in low and middle-income countries. You may not realise that this is totally different if you compare it back to a few decades ago and surprisingly during the old time it was a problem for people in high-income countries. Obesity has been known to be the main culprit of so many diseases such as diabetes and heart attack. Hence, in this DoctorOnCall’s article, we will be talking more about the most potential way to help lose weight, which is brown fat.

We may have embedded in our mind that fat is bad. Is it though? Brown fat or brown adipose tissue certainly is not bad fat. This is in contrast to white fat which is known to be associated with obesity despite being a means for the body to store energy. Brown fat is known to produce heat when the body is exposed to a cold environment. Modern living has led humans to eat food that is rich in energy and less movement compared to our ancestors. Thus, utilisation of the brown fat is less in this way of living as compared to the life of people in the old days. This has led to weight gain instead due to accumulation of the white fat.

Researchers used to understand that this brown fat only exists in infants as it helps to regulate their body temperature. Nowadays, as science evolves, researchers has found that adults also carry this brown fat and much more research is done to make full use of this fat, especially in helping to treat excessive weight and issues related. Brown fat breaks down the blood sugar (glucose) and fatty components inside the body to help regulate body temperature. One of the research studies shows that a team of men that have been exposed to cold temperature for 2 hours shows high brown fat activity that reduces the level of branched amino acids (BCAAs) that is linked with obesity and diabetes.

Brown fat is special compared to white fat as it contains more mitochondria. Mitochondria is a tiny structure in cells that works as an engine to produce heat. When the body is exposed to cold temperature, brown fat produces a protein called SLC25A44, which brings BCAAs into the mitochondria. In short, brown fat activity is, without a doubt, helps to lower the BCAAs.

It is now proven that brown fat is one way to help curb obesity. Keeping the room around 17 to 18 degrees Celsius or taking a cold shower is the easiest thing to do, especially living in our country where we do not have cold seasons. Does cold temperature the only way you can increase brown fat? Not necessarily. You can actually increase brown fat in your body in many other ways. This includes:

Exercise to increase brown fat. Exercise stimulates the production of irisin which boosts the browning of white fat. Exercise also boosts UCP1 activity in brown fat that releases hormones associated with lean muscle development that ultimately controls body fat.

Eating to satiety. Regulation of “hunger hormones” such as ghrelin and leptin are done by the brain cells. These hormones help to control appetite and stimulate white fat to turn into brown fat. Eating to satiety is enough to trigger the hormones and not over-consumption is important. Learn how to differentiate signs of real hunger. Find ways to avoid emotional eating.

Get good quality sleep. Melatonin is known to help lower obesity. This is why some people actually rely on melatonin supplements to boost the effect of melatonin which effect the brown fat function. Good news is, you don’t have to rely on this supplement as it is quite costly. Try to improve your sleep by improving your circadian rhythm. This can be done by avoiding blue light from electronic device before bedtime, try to sleep and wake up around the same time every day and try to get more sunlight exposure during daylight. Other things to do to help fall asleep easier is to relax before getting into bed such as reading book or listening to soothing music.

Good stress management. Stress makes weight loss journey difficult as it promotes bad fat and interferes with hunger signals which may lead to overconsumption or underconsumption. Learn how to manage stress by getting good sleep, regular physical activity and practising relaxation techniques such as mindfulness or yoga.

Eating food that increases brown fat. Such as green tea, chilli peppers and fish oil. These foods help to increase brown fat either by increasing the conversion of white fat to brown fat or increasing the rate of the brown fat production.

Does turmeric increase brown fat? Yes, studies has found that turmeric does increase brown fat. It works by increasing the enzyme that burn fat known as lipase. This enzyme causes the reduction of fat cells and increase fat metabolism. You can find curcumin supplement if you think getting turmeric from food is difficult. Curcumin is a substance in turmeric.