Author: Maryam Ayres
Time for reading: ~2
minutes
Last Updated:
August 08, 2022
Coffee helps activate brown fat in the body when we aim to reduce weight and control blood sugar.
A cup of coffee is enough to protect ourselves from the accumulation of brown fat, say scientists from the University of Nottingham. Their study was one of the first to look for ingredients with a direct effect on brown body fat.
Adipose adipose tissue, which we know as brown fat in the body, plays a key role in the rapid release of energy. It is one of the two types of adipose tissue in the human body and other mammals.
It was previously thought that brown fat was formed only in infants, but in recent years it has been confirmed in adults as well.
Adipose adipose tissue is important for our survival in the cold, because its burning ensures the maintenance of optimal body temperature, unlike "white" adipose tissue, which accumulates as a result of excess and does not have the same function.
Usually people with a low body mass index have a higher percentage of brown adipose tissue.
It turns out that stimulating its activity in the body is beneficial for controlling blood sugar as much as it aims to improve blood lipids and burn excess calories consumed during the day. Until now, science had no idea what could stimulate its activity, said one of the authors of the study, Prof. Michael Simmonds.
In one of their experiments, the researchers found that coffee had this effect on brown fats. During their work, they find the effective dose of the drink and start research with the participation of volunteers.
In studying the effect of coffee on brown adipose tissue, the team used thermal imaging equipment to help detect it in the body and determine its ability to emit heat.
It is clear to the team that such tissue is located in the neck area - so scientists are literally watching the activation of adipose tissue by drinking a cup of coffee. At this stage, researchers have set themselves the task of proving that caffeine is the ingredient in coffee that is responsible for the activation of adipose tissue. They will also check whether the same effect occurs when taking supplements.
Once the "working" ingredient is proven, the team is hired to issue adequate advice to professionals who develop programs to reduce weight or control blood sugar and prevent diabetes .
The team's results are published in the journal Scientific Reports.