Adipose tissue is associated with overweight, unsightly appearance and the risk of many diseases. But did you know that body fat can be divided into "good" and "bad"? Good fat, i.e. brown adipose tissue, is metabolically active and its task is to maintain a proper body temperature. White adipose tissue is a store of energy in the form of lipids and it is the "excess baggage" in the form of excess body weight.

White and brown adipose tissuehave different functions and properties. Check the details!

White and brown adipose tissue - differences

White adipose tissueis designed to store energy and produce hormones that are released into the blood. A certain amount is necessary for the proper functioning of the body.

One of the main hormones produced by white fat cells (adipocytes) is adiponectin, which influences metabolic processes, sensitizes tissues to insulin, and has anti-inflammatory and antiatherosclerotic effects.

When there is too much white fat in the body, the production of adiponectin slows down, resulting in an increased incidence of metabolic diseases and type 2 diabetes.

Cells that make up white adipose tissue have a much greater volume than brown adipocytes and store more fat. 95% of the volume of the white fat cell consists of lipids in the form of a single bubble, which increases as a result of their accumulation, while the brown fat cell contains 30-50% of lipids and occurs in the form of numerous and small droplets.

Brown cells are distinguished primarily by a large number of mitochondria and better innervation and blood supply. These cells are much more active.

The main difference in the functionality of fat cells is that white adipocytes store fat, while brown adipocytes use it to generate energy.

It is believed that in adult organismsbrown adipose tissueplays an important role in maintaining a he althy body weight and preventing insulin resistance. Its amount varies, it decreases with age and weight increase.

Larger amounts of brown fat are found in women and in people exposed to cold, e.g. working outdoors.

It was also noticed thatthat physically active people, such as athletes and swimmers, have more brown fat cells in the body.

For many years it was believed that brown adipose tissue only occurs in newborns and toddlers as an extra precaution to maintain normal body temperature.

Studies from recent years using modern measurement methods have shown that adults also contain brown fat, but in much smaller amounts. First of all, it can be found in the supraclavicular area and in the neck.

It is likely that groups of brown fat cells, and even individual cells, are scattered throughout the white adipose tissue. This is good news, especially for people who have problems maintaining a he althy body weight.

The cells of brown adipose tissue are even considered a cure for the obesity epidemic. Why? It all comes down to their metabolic activity and a strong ability to utilize fat accumulated in white adipocytes. It follows that the excess of "bad" fat can be combated by increasing the amount of "good" fat in the body.

How to increase the amount of brown fat tissue?

Scientists from Virginia Commonwe alth University School of Medicine came to interesting conclusions. They conducted a study on a group of people covered with thermal blankets in a room where the temperature gradually decreased from 26 ° C to 12 ° C.

The energy expenditure of the survey participants increased by an average of 48%. In addition, in people who began to shiver from cold, muscle activity increased by 88%. At the same time, the level of irisin - a hormone responsible for the development of brown adipose tissue - was tested. As the body cooled down, its level increased significantly.

Fortunately, cold isn't the only stimulator of brown adipocyte production, so you don't need to opt for cryotherapy to support your weight loss efforts. The level of irisin secretion was also tested during exercise.

The amount of the hormone was similar to that produced during body cooling down. The simple conclusion is that physical activity not only improves muscle he alth, but also turns white fat into brown.

A group of scientists from the Joslin Diabetes Research Center in Boston, led by Kristin Stanford, also investigated the effects of exercise on brown adipose tissue. The results of studies carried out on mice, as well as on a group of men who regularly exercise physical activity, are very promising.

Men rode regularly for 12 weeksa bicycle, while the mice ran on a spinning wheel for 11 days. Both in humans and mice, an increase in the content of brown adipose tissue and its increased metabolic activity were noticed.

In the case of animals, the newly formed adipose tissue was transplanted into the organisms of mice that were not physically active. These mice increased glucose tolerance, increased insulin sensitivity, and decreased body weight and fat mass. The positive metabolic effect lasted for two to three months.

Scientists have found that …

… genes from the father lead to the development of white adipose tissue. Immediately under the influence of maternal genes, brown adipose tissue develops. The discovery was made by the team of prof. Jan-Wilhelm Kornfeld from Syddansk Universitet (Denmark) with researchers from the Max Planck Institute in Cologne (Germany) and the Medial University in Vienna (Austria).

Worth knowing

What is beige adipose tissue

Up to a point, brown and white fat cells were thought to derive from the same type of stem cell. However, this thesis turned out to be incorrect. However, it was found that, depending on the needs, the precursor cell can transform into a brown fat cell or a skeletal muscle cell. So a brown fat cell is in some ways very similar to a muscle cell (multiple mitochondria, fast energy expenditure). In such a situation, it seemed logical that the mature white fat cells could not turn into brown fat cells. In his research on rats acclimated to low ambient temperature, Saverio Cinti from the University of Ancona in Italy showed, however, that white adipose tissue can turn into brown through the process of transdifferentiation. The number of fat cells did not change, while the newly formed brown cells differed slightly from the "classic" morphology - originally formed from a precursor cell. They were namedbeige adipose tissueand found the same functionality as brown adipose tissue. These results show that brown adipose tissue formation can be stimulated even in adulthood.

Brown fat cells as a cure for obesity?

Research by scientists from Joslin shows that brown adipose tissue is an important metabolic organ, the presence of which may aid in the treatment of obesity-related diseases - insulin resistance, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. It was also found that brown fat cell transplantation resulted in increased expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6). EarlierStudies have shown that IL-6 increases energy expenditure and has a positive effect on weight loss. It is not known if the same effects can be obtained with brown fat cell transplantation in humans, but there is a good chance that these adipocytes can be used to treat obesity and diabetes.

The results of research by independent teams of scientists indicate that the increase in the content of brown adipose tissue in the body has a positive effect on metabolism and weight loss.

Numerous studies show that the greater the body weight, the lower the amount and activity of brown adipose tissue in the body. People suffering from type 2 diabetes are also characterized by a reduced amount of this tissue compared to he althy people. The results of studies by independent teams of scientists indicate that the increase in the content of brown adipose tissue in the body has a positive effect on metabolism and weight loss. The production of brown fat cells in the adult human body is possible through regular physical activity. Before we have an obesity cure that has passed clinical trials, do your best to increase your body's levels of "good" fat. Take care of the daily amount of exercise, and you will help yourself fight overweight and ailments resulting from excessive body weight.

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Slimming