Researchers removed regular fat and used CRISPR gene editing to convert into higher calorie burning brown fat and then implanted the altered fat back into the body. The work was performed on mice. If this can be developed as a treatment for humans then 400 million people with diabetes would have better metabolism and this could be used to help people lose weight and control their weight.
Brown fat makes up 5% of the weight of baby and we lose brown fat as we age. A ten pound baby would have about 8 ounces of brown fat. Brown fat is good fat. Humans with higher levels of brown fat may have lower bodyweights. Three ounces of brown fat can burn several hundred calories a day.
Exposing your body to cool and even cold temperatures may help recruit more brown fat cells. Some research has suggested that just two hours of exposure each day to temperatures around 66˚F (19˚C) may be enough to turn recruitable fat to brown.
Short-term cold exposure may help people with brown fat burn 15 percent more calories than those without, according to a small study published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
SOURCES – Biorxiv, Healthline, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism
Written By Brian Wang, Nextbigfuture.com
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
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