White Fat vs Brown Fat

I recently stumbled on the brown vs white fat concept, something I had not heard of before.  I'm finding this very interesting.  Who knew!  Below is a brief summary of these two fats.

1. Brown Fat
This fat is composed of several small lipid (fat) droplets and a large number of iron-containing mitochondria (the cell’s heat-burning engine). The iron, along with lots of blood tiny blood vessels, gives this fat its brownish appearance. Brown fat is usually found in the front and back of the neck and upper back.

The purpose of brown fat is to burn calories in order to generate heat. That’s why brown fat is often referred to as the “good” fat, since it helps us burn, not store, calories. Brown fat is derived from muscle tissue and is found primarily in hibernating animals and newborns. After life as an infant, the quantity of brown fat significantly decreases. Adults who have comparatively more brown fat tend to be younger and slender and have normal blood sugar levels.

You generate brown fat by: exercising, which can convert white-yellow fat to a more metabolically active brown fat; getting enough high-quality sleep, as proper melatonin production influences the production of brown fat; and exposing yourself to the cold regularly, such as exercising outdoors in the wintertime or in a cold room. Lowering the temperature in your living and working spaces is another tip.

Bottom line: You want as much of this type of fat as possible. Bring on the brown!

2. White Fat. 
This type of fat is composed of a single lipid droplet and has far less mitochondria and blood vessels, thus resulting in its lighter white or yellow appearance. White fat is the predominant form of fat in the body, originating from connective tissue.

White fat has many purposes. It provides the largest energy reserve in the body. It’s a thermal insulator and cushion for our internal organs, and cushions during external interactions with our environment (that’s code for a soft landing when we fall on our behind!). It is a major endocrine organ, producing one form of estrogen as well as leptin, a hormone that helps regulate appetite and hunger. It’s also got receptors for insulin, growth hormone, adrenaline, and cortisol (stress hormone). So, it’s a myth that fat cells just sit there and do nothing all day long!

White fat is found, oh heck, you know where it’s found. Just look in the mirror! In women, excess fat accumulates around the hips, thighs, buttocks, and breasts until perimenopause (the 40s), when fat is redistributed to the abdomen as well. Men tend to gather excess fat primarily in the belly region most of their lives.

An excess of white fat inside the belly (visceral fat) is associated with metabolic syndrome—a group of symptoms that signal an increased risk for heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Location of body fat really counts! Excess white fat throughout the body is associated with an increased risk of breast, colon, esophageal, gall bladder, and pancreatic cancer. It’s also associated with sleep apnea, and physical disabilities such as knee arthritis.

Here’s how much white fat a “normal-weight” person would carry throughout a lifetime: Men’s body fat range is 15 to 25 percent; women’s is 15 to 30 percent. Your generic 154-pound person would carry about 20 pounds of fat. One pound of stored fat contains roughly 4,000 calories, so 20 pounds has 80,000 calories of energy storage. If you required 2,000 calories to live per day, you’d last about 40 days on a desert island. These numbers aren’t meant to be perfect or exact, but instead, give you a broad, general idea.

You generate white fat by: consuming too many calories and expending too few calories.

Bottom line: As a species, white fat is very important to our survival. It’s a matter of how much and where it’s located. You want to control your visceral fat level (keeping your waist circumference to less than 35 inches if you’re a woman, and to less than 40 inches if you’re a man) and keep your total body fat within the normal ranges for each gender.

Does white fat interact with brown fat? You better believe it. New research shows that when people overeat, they not only increase their total amount of white fat, but the over consumption results in their brown fat becoming dysfunctional and thus unable to burn calories.

Starting today, make it a point to achieve two major goals: Optimize your brown fat function and manage your white fat load—by doing precisely the same thing. That is, eat whole foods in moderation, stay active, practice stress resilience, and lead a mindful lifestyle. You’ll keep those mitochondria hummin’ while your health and wellness skyrocket!

*Article from Women's Health