We all have two types of fat in our bodies – the brown fat, which has a high number of iron-rich mitochondria (cell power house), which gives it its characteristic color – and the white fat, which has less mitochondria and stores extra energy as fat droplets.

So while white fat stores energy, brown fat uses it. Whenever you’re exposed to cold weather conditions, your brown fat, also called the “brown adipose tissue (BAT) , burns off calories to keep you warm.

That being said, it is important to note that brown fat is an important component of weight loss. And some foods and spices have been shown to activate and increase brown fat. That’s what we would focus more on in this article. 

But before then, keep in mind that the higher the amount of brown fat you have, the higher your chances of losing weight faster.

White fat stores energy, and an increase in this fat in your body can lead to obesity and form an extra layer around your abdomen, known as visceral fat. This fat often puts you at risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Why Is It Important to Increase Brown Fat?

Brown fat stores energy in smaller spaces as compared to white fat. When brown fat burns, it produces heat without shivering –a process called thermogenesis. Brown fat burns calories through this process.

A Study published in Diabetic and Metabolic Journal has shown that brown fat is a possible treatment for obesity and several metabolic conditions.

One review of many studies also proves that brown fat burns calories and this helps to control blood sugar to boost insulin levels and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Brown fat is actually inversely proportional to BMI and the higher your BMI, the lesser the amount of brown fat you have. I

If you need to lose weight, then you need to increase brown fat cells.

Luckily, many studies have shown that certain foods activate and increase brown fat to support weight loss. Without further ado, let’s move on to discuss these foods.

Foods and Spices that Activates and Increases Brown Fat

Here is a list of the best foods you can add to your diet to activate brown fat and boost weight loss:

Turmeric

Turmeric is one essential spice that activates and increases brown fat. The curcumin component gives it its characteristic yellow color. Besides, curcumin is a strong polyphenol that has been shown to be an anti-obesity agent.

One study published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry showed that curcumin plays a good role in the activation of brown fat cells, which supports obesity management.

You can add a turmeric supplement loaded with a high concentration of pure curcumin into your diet to increase your brown fat and encourage weight loss naturally.

Coffee

Coffee has long been used as a weight loss drink. A study published in a scientific report tested the link between coffee and brown fat in 9 subjects. These volunteers were allowed to take either caffeinated drinks or water.

The result shows that after 30 minutes, the subjects that drank coffee experienced an increase in temperature between the chest and neck region – where you find brown fat in the body.

The conclusion of the study was that taking a small cup of coffee can help activate and boost the production of brown fat in the body.

You can consume coffee before your meals to increase the temperature of your neck and chest region. Just one cup of coffee is enough to increase your body’s brown fat.

Chili peppers

Chili peppers like cayenne, habaneros, jalapenos, and poblano peppers contain a spicy component called capsaicin – which activates brown fat in humans.

One study concluded that capsinoids boost the transient receptor potential (TRP), which is involved in the formation of brown fat. It suggests that activation of this TRP channel could be a good strategy to counter obesity.

Green tea

Green tea has been known for many centuries as a slimming drink. In fact, many dieticians and training experts recommend that you drink 2 cups of Green tea daily to boost weight loss.

Research has shown that green tea boosts metabolism and this often leads to quicker weight loss. Green tea actually helps your body absorb glucose and convert it to brown fat.

You can add finely ground green tea to your water to increase the calorie-burning potential of your body to support weight loss.

Grapes

Grapes are rich in resveratrol – a natural polyphenol that helps in the management of blood glucose.

Research shows that resveratrol accelerates the conversion of white fat cells into brown fat.

Also resveratrol is known for its anti-inflammatory properties, which aids in the prevention of heart disease. This polyphenol is beneficial in diabetes prevention as well. And it may help stop the spread of cancer cells.

Other sources of resveratrol include peanuts, dark chocolates, red and white wine, pistachios, cranberries, and blueberries.

Final Remark

Research has clearly shown that the foods highlighted above are effective in activating and increasing brown fat cells to support weight loss.

Researchers found that turmeric, coffee, chili peppers, grapes, red wine, and green tea contain compounds that burn calories. Researchers also found that these foods not only activate brown fat cells to support weight loss, but they also help decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease ,and other conditions.

If you’re thinking of losing weight, you don’t need to break a bank on expensive weight loss pills. Instead, you can add more of these natural foods highlighted above into your diet to activate and increase your brown fat.

In addition to eating the right types of food, you may need to consume fewer calories than you expend to lose. Also, physical activity is often recommended to increase your energy expenditure.

Fat browning, however, through food is a good measure to increase brown fat. This is a good measure to fight against obesity and metabolic syndrome. So eat the foods recommended above for faster weight loss.

You may enjoy turmeric in supplement form to boost your brown fat and support weight loss.

Mike Miryala, Head Pharmacist at CoBionic