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Lose Fat, By Creating Brown Fat?

Brown fat is essential for burning energy, creating heat, and burning the white fat in our bodies. In other words, we need brown fat to get leaner. So how do we create this useful fat?

Becca Borawski

Written by Becca Borawski Last updated on September 27, 2011

In our bodies we have two types of fat, brown and white. White is the common, energy-storing fat. Brown fat, previously thought to be found mainly in babies, burns energy to create heat. More recently brown fat has been discovered in a small percentage of adults, as well. Brown fat is essential for burning energy, creating heat, and burning the white fat in our bodies. In other words, we need brown fat to get leaner.

So how do we create this useful fat? Two recent studies found completely different ways to stimulate its growth in the human body.

It was previously understood that growth of brown fat could be induced in adults through exposure to cold. A new study, published in Cell Metabolism, found an increase in social interaction also led white fat to be transformed into brown fat, resulting in an overall fat loss.

The study was conducted on mice who were first living comfortably with unlimited food and water, but no activities in their solitary cages. They were then placed in a more complex living environment, with up to 20 other mice and equipment for physical activity. The degree of fat loss experienced by these mice was profound. Researchers traced this fat loss to an increase in their brown fat.

On a molecular level, a study done by researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center uncovered two previously unknown pathways to brown fat. Knowing how the body stops or starts growth of brown fat on a molecular level enables scientists to then manipulate this process in the body. The goal, for researchers, is to develop treatments for obesity and diabetes based on stimulating the growth of brown fat or the injection of brown fat into the body.

Becca Borawski

About Becca Borawski

Becca found her way to a career in health and fitness through Martial Arts and CrossFit. Originally a music editor for film and television, Becca started studying Martial Arts in 2000. Though she started with traditional Martial Arts it was not long before she discovered Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and her path was forever altered. She began training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and Muay Thai and started working with professional MMA fighters, building websites, working on fight promotions, and producing videos.

As a competitor in BJJ herself, Becca wanted to get stronger and fitter. In 2006 she discovered CrossFit and became a student at CrossFit Los Angeles. In only a couple of years she became CrossFit Level III Certified, left her career in the film industry, and dedicated herself full time to coaching. She has since been certified through CrossFit in Olympic Lifting, Powerlifting, Nutrition, Endurance and Kids coaching. She also held an NSCA-CSCS from 2006-2008 and is a certified IndoRow instructor. In addition to coaching adults, she founded the CrossFit LA Kids program in 2010 and taught children aged 5-17.

Becca regularly takes on new sports, which have included indoor rowing, fencing, and most recently, cycling, as she believes it makes her both a better athlete and a better coach. In order to reach more people with her coaching, Becca also created ModernAthena.com – a website dedicated to women in pursuit of physical fitness and self-improvement.

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