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Brown fat, a type of body fat found around the neck, shoulders and heart, may be protective against chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes and even obesity, new research has found.
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Previous studies have found that brown fat helps keep us warm in the cold climate, burning energy.
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Scientists still don’t fully understand how brown fat works or why some people have it in greater amounts, but more research may help to reap the benefits.
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While many people are deciding to lose body fat after the holidays, new research suggests that not all body fat is created the same way. In fact, some may have important health benefits.
A certain type of fat known as brown fat can have a protective effect against chronic diseases like heart disease and type 2 diabetes, according to a study published on January 4 in Nature Medicine.
Researchers at Rockefeller University analyzed medical examinations of more than 52,000 patients at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center between 2009 and 2018.
They found that people who had detectable levels of brown fat were less likely to have chronic illnesses or health risks. Type 2 diabetes, for example, was found in only 4.6% of people with brown fat, but in 9.5% of people without brown fat. Likewise, people with brown fat tend to have better cholesterol levels, compared to people without.
This supports previous research, suggesting that brown fat may be protective in some way.
The researchers also found that brown fat seemed to mitigate some of the negative health effects of obesity (or a high percentage of total body fat), such as metabolic and cardiac problems.
Obese patients with brown fat had much lower rates of these medical problems, comparable to their non-obese peers, the study showed.
“It almost looks like they are protected from the harmful effects of white fat,” said Dr. Paul Cohen, senior author of the study and senior medical assistant at Rockefeller University Hospital, in a press release. “These findings make us more confident about the potential to target brown fat for therapeutic benefits.”
This type of fat can burn calories and protect our bodies
Most of the time, when people refer to body fat, they are referring to the most common white fat that stores energy from excess calories. While white fat is stored in the belly, around the organs and under the skin, brown fat tends to accumulate around the neck and the heart.
Experts believe that brown fat acts as a protective layer to keep us warm. Previous research has explored the possible benefits of brown fat to generate heat in cold conditions. In doing so, it can also burn a lot of calories and can help prevent obesity.
The researchers also theorized that brown fat can also burn glucose for energy, which could explain why it appears to help stabilize blood sugar levels and prevent diabetes.
Brown fat is still mysterious
However, it can be tricky to study brown fat, as it requires a specialized and expensive type of medical imaging. Using patient evaluation scans at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (which assesses brown fat to make sure it is not a tumor), the researchers were able to conduct the largest study ever done on brown fat in humans.
It is still not entirely clear why brown fat appears to protect against some health conditions, such as high blood pressure. Our best guest, according to the study, is that it can affect hormonal signaling in the body, in addition to burning energy.
How do I know if I have brown fat?
With all these benefits, researchers are eager to better understand how brown fat works and enjoy the benefits. Everyone has some brown fat, but we still don’t know why some people have more than others. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to find and does not occur in the same location for everyone.
To find out if you have brown fat, you need a type of medical examination called a PET scan, which requires the injection of radioactive material into the body. Although it is a relatively low risk and can be useful for detecting certain diseases like cancer, it is not recommended for healthy people.
We know a little bit about who tends to have more brown fat. Genetics probably play an important role, as does exposure to low temperatures, according to research.
“The natural question that everyone has is, ‘What can I do to get more brown fat?'” Said Cohen. “We don’t have a good answer for that yet, but it will be a stimulating space for scientists to explore in the years to come.”
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