Recent research has found a new chemical that can raise metabolism rate, which can reduce weight.
Study done on mice, added a chemical to their diet, that converted the “white” fat to “brown fat”. The fat in our bodies comes in two forms- the white and the brown fat. The purpose of brown fat is to burn calories. It contains many lipid droplets, a lot of blood vessels and a large amount of mitochondria full of iron (mitochondria are structural elements of the cell), therefore the fat appears brown. Brown fat is usually the main type of fat in babies and hibernating animals, but in adults it can be found on the upper back and neck. The amount of brown fat in adults is severely decreased in comparison to newborns, but adults with more brown fat tend to be much slimmer.
Brown fat derives from muscle tissue. It can be generated by exercising- that way white fat is converted to brown fat. Good sleep regime and melatonin production also influences the production of brown fat.
White fat has similar structure to brown fat. It is composed of one lipid droplet and less iron containing mitochondria and blood vessels than brown fat, therefore their color is much lighter. White fat is the energy reserve in the body and it protects the body from cold and trauma to internal organs. White fat also produce some estrogen and hormone leptin which is responsible for appetite regulation. Still, excessive amount of white fat can cause severe health issues, like metabolic syndrome, diabetes and increase the risk of heart disease and cancer.
Research done on rats showed, that a chemical- beta-LGND2 added to the diet of mice increased their body temperature, which indicates higher metabolism rate. The test subject were divided in three groups. The test group rats were given normal diet, while the other two groups were given diet to make them obese. Afterwards one of the obese rat groups was given the chemical component. Group who was given the beta-LGND2 lost weight after adding this compound to their diet.
Further research needs to be done to prove the effects on beta-LGND 2 in humans. With enough research, possibly in future this chemical compound could be used to treat obesity.
