BROWN FAT: A new form of fat loss?

Hello everyone I am making this article due to the fact I am researching it for a school project. I will copy and paste the links to the articles that relate to this blog post at the end of the post if you need verification or more explanation.

The basics:

There are two classified types of fat, white adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT). WAT is associated with weight gain and energy storage. BAT is associated with thermoregulation meaning when the body is cold the BAT is activated and causes heat to be generated to warm up the body. Weight loss is achieved under this basic equation

Calories in < calories out

As long as the number of calories you take in regularly is less than the calories you burn off your body is losing weight. Researchers are in a constant battle trying to find a way to increase calorie expenditure with the least amount of exercise being performed. The new theory is that BAT can cause a lot of weight loss if it can be activated.

HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN?

This process is very complicated but I will put it into easy to understand concepts. BAT  heats up the body by producing energy in the Electron Transport Chain. This process is one of the ways the body makes energy. (A link to more detail about the ETC is below). This process simply creates energy by transferring electrons across a proton gradient which creates energy for the body. The theorized reason why the BAT uses so much energy but does not produce very much effect is because the ETC allows hydrogen’s to leak back through the proton gradient in the wrong direction. This means the cells are working very hard but still not producing as much of an effect as if there was no leak. The easiest way to look at it is like this:

If you are stacking pennies one by one and your friend comes and takes one penny away every time you stake 3 pennies. You are always taking a step back and you are forced to stack 133 pennies to get 100 pennies stacked because your friend keeps making you have to redo previously done work.

So when the BAT is activated the body is working harder to produce same results so you burn off more calories.  If you want to lose weight studies show that you need to increase the amount of BAT you have and activate it more.

HOW DO I ACTIVATE MY BAT?

Some studies show that if a person is exposed to a cold climate then the BAT is activated at an increased rate compared to a warm environment. There have been studies done on mice that show they lost the equivalent of 9lbs a year due to simply activating the BAT. Some people say to put your feet in cold water before a workout and that will cause the body to activate the BAT. Research also shows that woman have more or are able to activate more BAT then men can. We do not really know why except for some enzyme activity is slightly different. These theories are mostly speculations.

CONCLUSION:

BAT weight Loss is not a proven treatment for obesity; it is simply an idea that is being researched.  If someone can understand how the ETC allows hydrogens to leak back through then it may be applied to WAT. If this can happen then a functional weight loss technique may be created because then people would increase their resting metabolic rate. If someone can figure out how to uncouple (allow hydrogens to leak through) the ETC then obesity may not even exist anymore.

This article is not meant to give insights and facts, it is meant as a thought provoking post. If you are curious about BAT and its weight loss functionality then check out these links below.

Thank youJ

http://www.jlr.org/content/34/7/1057.short - article ( free full txt)

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1890175,00.html – review article

http://www.jbc.org/content/278/35/33370.full article ( free full txt)

Diabetes: what you need to know

THE BASICS

                Before I explain exactly what Diabetes is, there needs to be a general understanding of certain definitions that deal with the condition of diabetes. The body works simply by ingesting nutrients and either using them for energy right away or storing them for energy for later use. The three main nutrients of the body include carbohydrates (glucose), fats (lipids) and Protein. Glucose is the body’s main energy producing nutrient meaning whenever it can, the body will use glucose as a fuel source before lipids and proteins.  In the body there are many different hormones all with their own different functions.  The main hormone prevalent in Diabetes is Insulin. Insulin causes he body to store glucose in the body cells such as liver cells, fat cells and muscle cells by taking the glucose out of the blood.

WHAT IS DIABETES?

Diabetes is characterised by a body’s inability to produce insulin or for the cells to not be able to respond to the insulin so glucose is not taken out of the blood stream in a normal manner like in a person who does not have Diabetes.  If the glucose keeps building up in the blood then hyperglycemia can occur. Hyperglycemia simply means high blood glucose levels. If this occurs chronically like it may in individuals with diabetes that do not take medication then many complications may occur, some even being life threatening.

DIFFERENT FORMS OF DIABETES

Diabetes comes in two major forms. Type 1 Diabetes is perceived as being more genetic meaning people are thought to have a gene in their DNA that causes insulin to not be produced. It can manifest itself at any time but normally it is developed in children, teens and early adulthood. Type 2 Diabetes is developed over many years of a sedentary lifestyle and bad diet. Simply put, the body gets tiered of transporting glucose into the cells and stops doing it as effectively as it once did. This is usually because the individual has a bad diet with a lot of extra sugars so the body has to work a lot harder on a regular basis to balance out these sugar levels in the body, compared to an active adult who eats healthier. There is one last form of diabetes that is not as well known called Gestational Diabetes. Gestational Diabetes can occur during pregnancy. Even if the woman has no previous history of Diabetes, insulin can malfunction during this time. 

Below are a few complications:

-          Kidney damage

-          Cardiovascular damage

-          Lower extremity damage ( to feet and or legs)

-          Nerve damage

-          Retina damage

-          Erectile Dysfunction

-           Cardiac Arrhythmia

 HOW DO I KNOW IF I AM PRE DIABETIC?

                There are a bunch of symptoms that can indicate if an individual may be diabetic or dangerously close. If you feel any of the below symptoms regularly please call your doctor. Below is a list of common symptoms that occurs in diabetics and pre diabetics.

- excessive thirst

- cuts don't heal well

- excessive hunger

- unnatural weight loss

- fatigue

-frequent urination

- vaginal infections

-erectile dysfunction

-blurry vision

IS THERE A CURE?

                Unfortunately if you are diagnosed with diabetes you cannot reverse it. In type 1 Diabetes you cannot control it because it is mostly genetically predisposed rather than based on lifestyle such as Type 2 Diabetes. In Type 1, the only thing an individual can do is keep their blood glucose levels at or near normal by taking the required medication from their doctor and by checking their blood glucose levels a few times a day. If the individual is taking the required dose, being active and eating healthy then there should not be any complications. If there are any of the above listed complications or anything else that normally does not happen speak to your doctor right away.

                Type 2 Diabetes is preventable because it is brought on by an unhealthy lifestyle. As long as an individual is eating healthy and exercising regularly Type 2 Diabetes should not occur. Even thirty minutes of kicking the soccer ball around with your children will do wonders for your health. It will decrease chance of infection and sickness, decrease chance of cardiovascular diseases, increase quality of life, etc.

In the case of Gestational Diabetes proactive measures are thought to be the best way to prevent the onset of Diabetes in pregnant women. If the woman can maintain an active lifestyle and healthy food choices even during the pregnancy where cravings are natural then the individual will have the greatest chance of not becoming diabetic. If the mother gets G.D the baby is at an increased chance of developing diabetes.  

SUMMARY:

                Diabetes affects over 3 million Canadians and the number is steadily rising. Ifyou want to prevent diabetes, the best way is to live an active and healthy lifestyle. The body usually only develops complications when the individual is doing something the body is not suppose to be doing. If you are diagnosed with Diabetes, do not panic. Lots of Canadians live with diabetes and still become or remain successful. Make sure you take your medication and test your blood glucose levels often. You cannot reverse diabetes but you can prevent it from destroying your life by carefully monitoring it.