Brown fat could help fight obesity, say researchers

Brown fat can help protect the body from obesity and diabetes, scientists said.

Also called brown adipose tissue, brown fat is considered a heating organ.

People have a few grams in areas such as the neck, clavicle, kidneys and spinal cord.

The researchers found that when it is activated by cool temperatures, brown fat uses sugar and blood fat to generate heat in the body.

Published in the journal Nature, the study found that brown fat could also help the body filter and eliminate branched chain amino acids (BCAA) from the blood.

These amino acids – leucine, isoleucine and valine – are found in foods such as eggs, meat, fish, chicken and milk.

They can also be found in the supplements used by some athletes and people who want to build muscle mass.

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Although normal levels of these amino acids are essential to health, they are linked in excessive amounts to diabetes and obesity.

Scientists have found that people with little or no brown fat have a reduced ability to remove BCAA from their blood, which could lead to the development of these conditions.

Co-author Labros Sidossis, chair of the Department of Kinesiology and Health at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, said, "Our study explains the paradox that BCAA supplements can potentially benefit people with brown fat. active, such as people in good health, but may be harmful. to others, including the elderly, the obese and diabetics. "

The researchers say that the study also solved a mystery of over 20 years on brown fat: how do BCAA get into the mitochondria that generate energy and heat in cells? ?

They discovered that a new protein controlled the rate at which brown fat removed amino acids from the blood and used them to produce energy and heat.

Next, they must determine whether the absorption of BCAA by brown fat can be controlled by environmental factors – such as exposure to relatively low temperatures or the consumption of spicy foods – or by drugs.

This could improve the blood sugar levels associated with diabetes and obesity, said Professor Sidossis.

– Press Association