Can brown fat tissue be targeted for fat burning? Current findings on this topic were presented at the 67th German Congress of Endocrinology. Some statistics highlighted the need. Approximately 53% of the German population are overweight . Obesity is present in 19% of adults. The condition not only results in a shorter life expectancy but also increases the risk for cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.
While white fat tissue stores energy and can make up to 50% of a person's body mass, brown fat tissue burns energy to generate heat. The many mitochondria in brown fat tissue give it its characteristic brown color. "Brown fat tissue is like a heater for our body and kicks in when we are cold," said Hollstein.
"You can train brown fat tissue through cold exposure, which also leads to improvements in metabolism and a slight loss of fat mass, but the effect is very small," explained Hollstein. The changes in metabolism are significant. Blood lipid levels improve,Evidence also indicates that capsaicin contained in chili peppers can activate brown fat tissue. However, the effects are small, and so far, there is no evidence that consumption can help with weight loss.
After 4 weeks of therapy in healthy women, brown fat tissue increased, but the participants did not lose weight or body fat.