Brown fat vs white fat; the fat burning question

Some things in life just aren’t fair.  Take for example people who seem to be able to eat anything and not gain weight.  We all wonder why and just assume it’s in their genetic makeup, the benefit of a higher metabolism, and/or body type.  Understanding how our body works internally, what ignites our metabolism and why we are the way we are helps us know and do better for our overall wellness.

Aside from our body type, there are two very important God-given cellular components that burn and store fat in our body; brown and white fat cells.  These two cells influence our weight, body shape and health greatly.  Our bodies produce these two primary fat cells for various reasons.  White fat cells provide the storage system for fat (which in turn reproduces hormones and energy) while brown fat cells provide the energy that burns white fat cells.  As we age and gain weight, our brown fat cells decrease, in turn decreasing our metabolism.   Studies have shown that when brown fat is stimulated through activity, colder temperatures and food the results produce a higher metabolism, burning more energy/calories. 

Brown Fat – who, where and why

Babies, children and young healthy women carry a higher amount of brown fat, due mostly to their body composition (lean versus mass muscle).  In adults, brown fat is stored under our collarbone.  Men, believe it or not, have the least amount of brown fat.  However, the mass muscle most men naturally carry helps to compensate (burn fat) for the lesser amount of brown fat cells they’re given naturally.

White fat – Pros, cons and purpose

White fat does have some “pros” to its purpose.  It provides storage for future energy.  It produces the satiety hormone Leptin, which tells our brain we’re satisfied and to stop eating.  The downside of white fat is our body’s inability to remove it once it forms excessively (i.e. overweight) and is not burned efficiently (through diet and exercise).  As we age, white fat becomes a harder internal property to remove/burn.  However, it still has some benefits our body needs.

The simplest way to understand the major differences between brown and white fat cells is to remember this:  Brown burns, white stores.

Stimulating “brown fat” cells

The best way to help our body stimulate/metabolism and activate our fat burning abilities is to do some very simple things:

1)       Eat thermogenic foods (i.e. non starchy vegetables, salmon, tuna, etc.) 

2)      Drink plenty of water (64 oz a day, preferably ionized/alkaline water or mineral water)

3)      Exercise at least 30 minutes a day (aerobic) and 15 minutes a day (anaerobic)

Doing simple, everyday things that keep our body working/functionally naturally is the answer.  Diet pills, operations and fad diets simply do not change behavior. 

Quick tip for wellness:  Practice “wellness” as a lifestyle and your life will become well.