Brown Fat Is Your Friend

By Editorial Staff

Believe it or not, white fat and brown fat both set up shop within your body. They both may be called fat, but one is distinctly bad for your health, while the other is actually beneficial.

While white fat is composed primarily of lipid droplets, brown fat is rich in mitochondria, which burn calories to produce heat. Imagine fat cells that burn calories! But that's not the only reason why brown fat is good for you. According to research, brown fat also appears to reduce inflammation in the brain, which helps protect against dementia with age.

Published in Nature Communications, the study notes that these findings are important because fat containing both white and brown fat cells  (subcutaneous fat, the fat located between the skin and outer abdominal wall) mediates the negative brain changes that have been shown to occur in obese individuals, who often have an abundance of visceral fat (dangerous fat in the spaces between abdominal organs).

The moral to the story? Brown fat is your friend when it comes to healthy aging! And just as important, white fat is your enemy, not only for brain health, but also for your risk of weight-related health issues. Talk to your doctor to learn more.