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Boosting Brown Fat
28 August 2012

Boosting Brown Fat

People who are chubby might say that they have ‘good insulation’, but ironically the type of fat that keeps us warmest is less abundant in overweight people. Body fat comes in two types – white and brown. It is the latter that generates the most heat and, as a consequence, burns the most calories. The more overweight someone is, the less brown fat they have. White fat cells contain high levels of a protein called Hoxc8 (stained red), and researchers have found that suppressing Hoxc8 in mice can convert white fat to brown (in the large image, the holey green stained cells with nuclei stained blue). If scientists can find a way to do this in humans, it could become an obesity treatment. In the meantime, going for swims at the beach in winter could help, as exposure to cold is also known to boost brown fat.

Written by Ruth Williams

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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