Brown Fat and White Fat

In our body, we do have 2 types of fat. Brown fat and white fat. Brown fat has higher concentration of mitochondria which makes the color of the fat cells brownish color. White fat on the other hand has less mitochondria and making the color of the fat cell more white.

Why are these fat important? It actually help us understand how we can improve our metabolism and utilize fat more efficiently.

To understand this we need to go through understanding of two hormones, insulin and glucagon.

Insulin and Glucagon

Insulin and glucagon are both secreted by same organ called pancreas. Although they are both secreted by same organ, however, they have completely opposite characteristics. When insulin is working hard, glucagon don't want to do anything. When glucagon is working insulin is not working at all.

Insulin is a hormone that is widely known. It is to transporting hormone that is secreted when the food is consumed. Purpose is to transport nutrients to cells. Glucagon on the other hand is not so well known, but it is secreted when insulin is not working due to fasting or low carbohydrate diet. Simple way to remember is insulin likes to store and glucagon likes to spend. Similar to my kids where my daughter loves to spend money and my son favor to save. Husband of my daughter better be ready.

When you want to get more nutrients and gain more mass (fat or muscles) you want the insulin to be working. However, if you want to exhaust your fat and focus on cleaning up your system, then you want glucagon to be working.

Brown fat and White Fat

If you have kids you may have witness this. After taking a bath infants does not shiver where as adults does and feel cold with the temperature difference between shower and outer environment. This is because, infants has more brown fat than adults. Brown fat as mentioned earlier has more mitochondria which means can produce more energy or heat. As we get older, unfortunately, those brown fat get smaller. White fat on the other hand is just a storage and by itself does not produce any heat or energy.

Brown fat even with adults, is set around chest cavity where heart, lungs and other vital organs sits. Whereas white fat usually sits in subcutaneous and visceral area.

Although they have different structure, depending on insulin or glucagon, they can act like on or the other.

For example, when insulin is working brown fat will work like white fat and stay calm and watch the white fat accumulates. When glucagon is at work, white fat will start working like brown fat and start emitting heat and able to burn more energy.

When Insulin is High

Insulin's job is to store. Therefore, when insulin level is high, all of our fat cell will act like white cell. In fact, our metabolic rate decreases, which makes total sense. When you want to store something, you do not want to waste or get rid of anything. For our body, when we are eating food, all the nutrients should not be wasted. For this reason, our body does not want to increase metabolic rate, where it can have the chance of wasting the important nutrients.

So while the insulin is high, even mitochondria rich brown fat will act like white fat and entire body will act to retain food in a form of nutrients and fat.

It is recorded that when the insulin level is high, whether from diet or insulin treatment, one can increase their fat mass by 20lb within 6 month period.

When Glucagon is High

Glucagon's job is to spend. Therefore, when glucagon level is high, all of the fat cells will start acting like brown fat. Metabolic rate during this time is about 10% higher, which also make sense. When you are either fasted or lower in carbohydrate, the body need more energy to live. So the body will be using stored energy called fat as energy source and will be spending like crazy, like wife with husband's credit card.

Ways to Increase Glucagon and Brown Fat

There are several ways to activate glucagon and brown fat.

1. Low-carb and high fat diet - Many are doing low carb but not high fat. Important thing about low carb diet is to elevate the amount of fat intake. Benefit is to teach the body to use more fat as energy and glucagon to be more active.

2. Fasting - This may be more easier process than low carb diet. Give yourself, 12, 16, 24 hour fasting, which will keep the insulin level low. However, if you are diabetic or has insulin resistance, it may take a while to bring the residual insulin level down.

3. Fasted Workout - This force the glycogen stored in liver and muscle and force the fat to be the primary energy source.

4. Building muscular strength and mass - When muscle is stimulated, insulin sensitivity of the cells will be improved and able to lower the blood sugar level along with insulin level.

5. Merging with cold - This is bit of challenging. When we merge ourselves to colder environment (cold enough to shiver), the body will utilize fat to act like brown fat to heat up the body. Sleeping with less cloth, taking cold shower, exercising in cold environment can all increase the activity of brown fat. It is not recommended for everyone.

Conclusion

Throughout the week and depending on your goals, you should be mindful about which hormone and fat to activate. When building strength and muscles, you may want to increase the insulin secretion. Yet, when you are focusing on your figure, you may want to be friend with glucagon by suppressing insulin level. If you are not metabolically flexible, meaning not able to switch between fat energy and food source energy, you will need to first befriend with glucagon.

Kota Shimada