Body fat has long been seen as a bad thing. Too much body fat means obesity, and that means a higher risk of cardiometabolic disease.

But you may not know that there is more than one type of body fat, and they are not created equal…

White fat, or adipose tissue, is the kind that stores energy and becomes problematic when there’s too much of it in the body. However, the other type of fat, brown adipose tissue (BAT), actually burns energy and boosts metabolism.

This thermogenic process may help protect against health conditions such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. And recent research indicates BAT may do even more…

Brown fat for endurance and healthy longevity

Researchers at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School decided to evaluate the impact of this calorie-burning brown fat on exercise endurance and healthy aging.

So, they extracted BAT from mice genetically modified to live longer lifespans and transplanted it into a group of normal mice. Within only three days of the transplant, the normal mice showed improved running endurance. By contrast, however, regular BAT took much longer to produce similar improvements.

“Our hypothesis is that BAT protects against impaired healthful longevity, i.e., obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and reduced exercise tolerance,” the researchers write in the published study.

Most studies have shown that exercise regulates BAT activation and increases BAT density. However, the Rutgers team’s research demonstrated that BAT can significantly improve exercise performance, inspiring us to push our limits. But that’s not all it can do…

Aside from its thermogenic properties, the researchers emphasized BAT’s potential to improve blood circulation and reduce cellular stress. This promising aspect of BAT may help combat age-related muscle loss, fatigue, and metabolic decline, giving us hope for a healthier and more active future.

Continued research into the effects of BAT could lead to the development of promising therapies to help older adults live more active lives while reducing the risk of chronic age-related conditions.

Treatments designed to mimic the benefit of BAT could also lead to innovative approaches for improving energy levels, maintaining a healthy weight and supporting heart health.

“​​In view of the ability of BAT to mediate healthful longevity and enhance exercise performance, it is likely that a pharmaceutical analog of BAT will become a novel therapeutic modality,” they write.

How to get BAT working for you

As promising as this research is, it will be years before it results in readily available therapeutic options. It’s also important to note that the prevalence of BAT decreases with age.

That means while you’ve still got it — put it to work…

You can do things you can do to activate the BAT in your body, as well as convert more white fat into brown fat. One way is through cold exposure: things like taking cold showers, turning down the thermostat in the winter and soaking your feet in an ice bath.

You can also rev up BAT through exercise. One study shows that during exercise, brown fat signals the muscle to take up more fatty acids to use as fuel. And irisin, a hormone released during exercise, can help white fat cells turn beige.

There are foods and specific nutrients that can also help stoke the BAT furnace:

• A combination of black seed oil and omega-3 fatty acids can help white fat convert to brown.
• Flavanols have the power to activate fat browning via the sympathetic nervous system.
• Coffee can stimulate the activity of brown fat cells.
• Vitamin A, when combined with cold, can convert white fat into brown.

One final note: It’s crucial to control inflammation in your body, as it can block BAT activation. You can take steps to reduce inflammation, such as maintaining a healthy weight and consuming anti-inflammatory foods, empowering yourself to optimize your BAT function for healthier aging.

Luckily, some of the aforementioned methods for activating BAT also help reduce inflammation, like exercise and fish oil, which is a great source of omega-3s.

You can also retool your diet to include more anti-inflammatory foods like fatty fish, nuts and seeds, whole grains, Mediterranean spices, tomatoes, olive oil, green leafy vegetables and fresh fruit. All of these foods are great sources of anti-inflammatory antioxidants!

Sources:

Brown fat boosts exercise performance and promotes healthy longevity — EurekAlert!

Brown adipose tissue enhances exercise performance and healthful longevity — Aging