What is brown fat and why is it important to develop it?

What is brown fat and why is it important to develop it? Bubnis

We're all familiar with fat, abdominal fat. The kind we'd like to see disappear. This fat, depending on its location on or in the body, will have different roles. Thus, subcutaneous fat, distributed throughout the body, mainly under the skin, constitutes our main energy reserve. It accumulates mainly due to the influence of diet and certain biological or genetic considerations. For example, it is natural and normal for a woman to have a higher percentage of fat than a man. That's how nature is made. This type of tissue is made up of cells, adipocytes, which are white. White because they contain a lot of fat and are very inactive. Their role is one of reserve. We call this tissue: white fat.

Another similar tissue is abdominal fat. Unlike the first, this tissue also contains white adipocytes. It has little metabolic activity but a lot of inflammation. It is also called visceral fat. Its increase is mainly linked to poor diet. Furthermore, visceral fat is a significant risk factor for metabolic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

There is a third type of fat in the body. Babies at birth have a large portion of their body fat made up of this third type. This is brown fat. Unlike the first two, this tissue is metabolically very active. Yes, these are adipocytes, so fat cells whose function is to store fat. But, unlike the other two, this tissue has other functions for efficient use of fat. Cells are brown because, in addition to fat, they have a whole range of organelles (internal structures of cells) whose function is to use these fats, to burn them for energy and heat. Among other things, they are very rich in mitochondria. Mitochondria are responsible for the production of energy by cells. Brown fat cells have as many mitochondria as muscle cells, which gives an idea of ​​their capacity to develop energy. That's why they're said to be metabolically active. It can even be said that the more brown fat people have compared to white fat, the healthier they are. In fact, a survey of more than 50,000 people found a direct link between a high proportion of brown fat and protection against chronic diseases, Becher , especially heart disease. Harms

Cold adaptation, which increases brown fat, also increases the ability to burn glucose and fatty acids. Iwen

If, unlike abdominal fat, brown fat is a tissue that helps with health, metabolic health, how can we increase it?

It is possible to increase the amount of brown fat and even make white fat “brown”!

There are two ways. Do intense and long-term exercise, but the most effective way remains... exposure to the cold!

Have you noticed, if you live in Quebec or a northern country, that the same "3 degrees Celsius" will not have the same effect in October as in March? In October, 3 degrees is very cold. Whereas in March or even February at the end of winter, this 3 degrees pushes us to undress with pleasure. We are thirsty for sun and it even seems hot!!!

This phenomenon is called thermoadaptation. This phenomenon can be replicated and even amplified to the point of developing even more brown fat through voluntary exposure to cold. Indeed, exposure to cold stimulates the development of brown fat cells at the expense of white fat cells. We would say that the cells turn brown. They develop more capacity to produce energy. They create new mitochondria. Finlin

Additionally, because brown fat is so active, it is associated with thinness. Devlin

So, the more brown fat your body develops, the more white fat it uses. As a result, the more brown fat you develop, the easier it becomes to lose weight because your metabolism is activated.

There's a big distinction to be made between exposure to cold and being cold. Being cold makes you shiver and tire you out. Hence the expression "to catch a cold." We don't want to be cold and shiver. Therefore, exposure to cold should be done gradually to increase tolerance, or even enjoyment!

Here, we are talking about thermalism, the approach of Father Sebastian Kneipp (1821-1897) in Germany. Or more recently of Win Hof, alias the Iceman , holder of all records for resistance to cold.

Build brown fat at home.

To maximize your brown fat and metabolic health, you need to expose yourself to the cold. There's no need to stay under the ice like Wim Hof. You simply need to stimulate this tissue to grow at the expense of white fat.

The cold shower

Start gently at the end of your usual hot shower by turning off the hot water. You can start with your feet. It's easier, and the shock is less violent. A few seconds or more, depending on your personal tolerance.

Observe your feelings. Welcome the cold as a new but not dangerous sensation. It is obvious that your emotions will scream at you: "Get out of there!" but your intelligence, your full awareness, if you prefer, will tell you: "No, you won't die from it... hey, this sensation is strange," etc.

Gradually raise the jet towards the upper body.

Have fun with this feeling.

How far can you go?

Once you accept the cold shower on your body, relax. Observe. What happens?

How long can you stay in pleasure?

You'll see, the more you try it, the longer the cold shower will last. The benefits will increase too.

The cold bath

Father Kneipp advocated alternating hot and cold. After a sauna, regardless of the type or your preference, he suggested different types of baths. These could be for the legs, for the arms, or complete immersion in cold water around 10 degrees Celsius.

If you have access to a cold bath, the experience after the heat and sweating is very invigorating.

In winter, you can even take the experience to the next level. After the heat, rolling around in the snow is truly something you should do at least once in your life...

If you prefer Wim Hof's approach, he suggests skipping the heat part altogether and jumping straight into the cold. He offers a whole breathing technique based on Tibetan Toumo breathing to increase your resistance to the cold.

No matter how, building cold resistance increases your brown fat and cardio-metabolic health.

A word of caution. If you are in fragile health or already have heart disease, talk to your doctor. Cold weather isn't forbidden, but you should approach it gradually to avoid aggravating your condition.

Let's meet outside to play in the snow!

References:

· Bubnis D. Brown Fat: What You Should Know. Healthline. March 17, 2020. https://www.healthline.com/health/brown-fat#How-to-get-brown-fat

· Becher T, Palanisamy S, Kramer DJ, Eljalby M, Marx SJ, Wibmer AG, Butler SD, Jiang CS, Vaughan R, Schöder H, Mark A, Cohen P. Brown adipose tissue is associated with cardiometabolic health. Nat Med. 2021 Jan 4. doi: 10.1038/s41591-020-1126-7. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33398160. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-1126-7

· Finlin BS, Confides AL, Zhu B, Boulanger MC, Memetimin H, Taylor KW, Johnson ZR, Westgate PM, Dupont-Versteegden EE, Kern PA. Adipose Tissue Mast Cells Promote Human Adipose Beiging in Response to Cold. SciRep. 2019 Jun 17;9(1):8658. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-45136-9. PMID: 31209239; PMCID: PMC6572779.

· Harms M, Seale P. Brown and beige fat: development, function and therapeutic potential. Nat Med. 2013 Oct;19(10):1252-63. doi:10.1038/nm.3361. PMID: 24100998. https://www.nature.com/articles/nm.3361

· Iwen KA, Backhaus J, Cassens M, Waltl M, Hedesan OC, Merkel M, Heeren J, Sina C, Rademacher L, Windjäger A, Haug AR, Kiefer FW, Lehnert H, Schmid SM. Cold-Induced Brown Adipose Tissue Activity Alters Plasma Fatty Acids and Improves Glucose Metabolism in Men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2017 Nov 1;102(11):4226-4234. doi: 10.1210/jc.2017-01250. PMID: 28945846. https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/102/11/4226/4117435

· Devlin MJ. The "Skinny" on brown fat, obesity, and bone. Am J Phys Anthropol. 2015 Feb;156 Suppl 59:98-115. doi:10.1002/ajpa.22661. PMID: 25388370. https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/110636

References for Father Sebastian Kneipp · https://shop.kneipp.com/fr_fr/entreprise/lentreprise/lhistoire-de-la-marque-comment-tout-a-commence/ · https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sebastian_Kneipp

Reference Wim Hof ​​https://www.wimhofmethod.com/

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wim_Hof