Science has long recognized the importance of brown adipose tissue to help keep infants warm.  These special fat cells take a calorie and turn it into heat.  Normally a calorie is turned into 65% energy and 35% heat – and then a person must use up the energy (exercise and activity), otherwise weight gain readily occurs.  If you are throwing the calorie away as heat then no exercise or activity is needed.  While the importance of this mechanism in the shiver response of infants has never been in question, the contribution of brown adipose tissue to adult fat metabolism and weight-loss strategies has been a matter of controversy.

Three years ago I reported on the changing scientific tide in my article, The New View on Brown Adipose Calorie-Burning.  Using advanced scanning technology several ounces of brown adipose tissue was identified in adults in the upper back, on the sides of the neck, between the collarbone and shoulder, and along the spine.  The researchers showed the tissue was metabolically active, lighting up scans when people were exposed to cold.

The new study is a continuation of the earlier research.  It shows for the first time that brown adipose tissue burns fat, not glucose.  Brown adipose tissue contains within it some regular triglyceride fat.  Upon stimulation of brown adipose tissue it is this fat that is used to produce heat.  Interestingly, as soon as this small amount of fat is used then the brown adipose tissue starts drawing in other fat to be used to make heat, literally throwing away fat.  The researchers showed that the metabolic influence of this few ounces of fat tissue could have a significant impact on adults when exposed to cold, increasing overall metabolic rate by 80% for 3 hours, resulting in the disposal of 250 calories of fat.

Activating brown adipose tissue as a weight-loss strategy is one angle on the issue and should be done in perspective, as part of an overall healthy approach.

Cold exposure activates brown adipose tissue because the exposure to cold stimulates your sympathetic nerves, which then activate your brown fat.  Short bursts of strenuous exercise, push ups, pull ups, deep knee bends – done to a point of significant exertion will likewise stimulate sympathetic nerves to turn on brown adipose tissue.

Stimulant weight-loss drugs activate sympathetic nerves and thus brown adipose tissue.  However, these often have adverse side effects to the heart and cardiovascular system due to the inappropriate over-activation of nerves.  This is why I say that activating brown adipose tissue must be done in the perspective of a person’s health.  Someone with irregular heart beats may not benefit from exercise that is too strenuous.  The more physically unfit a person is or the more difficult their cardiovascular situation, the more they have to go slowly and steadily in the right direction.

In this picture green tea is a very interesting weight loss supplement.  I pointed out last November in my article, Green Tea as a Potent Weight Loss Nutrient, that green tea acts in multiple ways to help facilitate more efficient metabolism.  In fact, similar to the brown adipose tissue study above, green tea reduces weight gain from a high fat diet, which has been demonstrated in both animals and humans.

Of particular relevance is that one of the ways green tea operates is by directly activating brown adipose tissue.  This was demonstrated in a 2003 study wherein rats were fat a high fat diet and those given green tea did not gain weight.  The scientists showed that the reason was activation of brown adipose tissue by green tea.  When the sympathetic nerves were blocked with drugs then green tea no longer prevented weight gain. 

It has also been demonstrated that the catechin of green tea, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) inhibits an enzyme called catechol-O-methyltransferase.  This enzyme reduces the sympathetic nerve neurotransmitter, norepinephrine.  In other words, the net effect of green tea intake is to have more sympathetic nerve stimulation of brown adipose tissue.  Unlike dangerous drug stimulants, green tea is well documented to have cardiovascular benefits.

It is clear that normal-weight adults have more brown adipose tissue than overweight adults, a clear metabolic advantage that contributes to a healthier metabolism.  Green tea is a tool that can be used to help overweight people get back on track.  It is not a one-shot miracle weight-loss remedy; rather, it helps restore one aspect of healthy metabolism that is typically lost in overweight people.

The researchers used the well-documented model of feeding a high-fat diet to induce obesity, which readily happened to the mice not given carvacrol.  Other mice were fed 0.1% carvacrol as part of their diet.  These mice gained significantly less weight and had lower blood levels of lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides).  An analysis of gene function showed that genes leading to the formation of new fat cells were suppressed, as were genes in white adipose tissue immune cells that otherwise cause inflammation.

A key part of the weight-gain problem for any person is that immune cells start having an inflammatory party within white adipose tissue, attracting even more immune cells and causing progressive inflammation.  This problem locks in the dysfunction of white adipose tissue and contributes to stubborn weight issues.  This is the first study showing that carvacrol can directly improve this difficult problem, helping to break a vicious cycle. 

The amount of carvacrol used in the study is typical for humans taking oregano oil to support immunity.  For a 1500 calorie diet this is 1.5 calories of carvacrol or for a 2000 calorie diet it would be 2 calories.  This means if a person ate 1500 calories per day they would need 166 mgs of carvacrol, or 222 mgs for a 2000 calorie diet.  Since there are 65 mgs of carvacrol in a 100 mg oregano oil capsule, this translates to 3-4 capsules per day. 

This is the second study to show that oregano oil has anti-inflammatory properties.  An earlier study showed that it reduced inflammation in experimentally produced autoimmune arthritis.  Another earlier study showed that oregano oil also boosts dopamine levels, which helps mood and reduces cravings. 

I have also explained in an earlier detailed article, Germ Gangs Block Weight Loss, that bacterial and/or fungal overgrowth can wreak havoc with metabolism.  Clearly, oregano oil is one of the best nutrients for this issue.  Individuals with nagging digestive and/or sinus problems typically benefit from oregano oil in this context.  This is yet another angle on how oregano oil can help weight management.

Collectively, these studies indicate that oregano oil can be added to any person’s weight loss program and may be especially beneficial if a person also suffers from excess food cravings, sinus problems, digestive problems, and/or joint pain.

The research evaluated the diets and measured telomere length of people at age 30, then repeated the measurements at age 42.  Those who ate the most food had shorter telomeres, with omega-6 oils showing as the worst offenders.

Omega-6 fatty acids permeate the American food supply.  You’ll find them in potato chips, corn chips, and French fries.  They are often the base oil in many salad dressings, and are the primary fatty acid in corn oil, soy oil, and other vegetable oils.  They are typically modified into partially hydrogenated vegetable oil for use in breads and packaged foods.

During human evolution the ratio of omega-6 oils to omega-3 oils (DHA and EPA) was 4 to 1.  Today, in a typical American diet that ratio is 20 to 1 or even worse.  The imbalance of omega-6 oils to omega-3 oils causes many problems, since there is competition for enzymes and the relative lack of omega-3 tilts one’s body into an inflammatory condition.  I have previously reported that omega-3 oils actually help preserve your telomeres.

Telomere length, a key marker of biological age, is shortened prematurely when an adverse state of biochemistry exists, such as the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 oils.  Overeating in general is one way to shorten your telomeres, and excess consumption of omega-6 oils appears to be the fastest way to grow old in a hurry.

In the first part of the study nerve cells were damaged in ways that mimic a typical injury, leading to nerve cell death.  Treatment with omega-3 oils gave the cells significant protection from injury and reduced the amount of nerve cell death. 

In the next part of the study damage was induced to the sciatic nerves of mice, which were then treated with omega-3 oils.  The results were consistent with the first part of the study.  Omega-3 fatty acids helped the mice recover more fully and quickly.  The mice also experienced less muscle wasting from the nerve injury.

This study offers a new remedy to assist patients with nerve injuries that are typically difficult to treat and often result in excessive pain, weakness, and muscle paralysis.  It also implies that if your nerves are adequate in omega-3 oils DHA and EPA, and you happen to get an injury you will have less damage and a faster recovery.

“Normal sperm cells contain an arc-like structure called the acrosome that is critical in fertilization because it houses, organizes, and concentrates a variety of enzymes that sperm use to penetrate an egg,” said Manabu T. Nakamura, an associate professor of biochemical and molecular nutrition at the University of Illinois.  The study shows that DHA is essential in fusing the building blocks of the acrosome together. “Without DHA, this vital structure doesn’t form and sperm cells don’t work,” said Timothy Abbott, doctoral student at the University of Illinois, who co-authored the study.

We have known for some time that DHA is abundant in your brain and arteries, playing vital roles in neurological and cardiovascular health.  Now we have a better understanding of why DHA is also highly concentrated in the testes.  Too bad so many men are deficient.

Exercise not only strengthens your body, but also burns fat.  When it comes to fat, we know that “you are what you eat.”  A small but relevant percentage of your fat per day needs to be in the form of omega-3 essential fatty acids, DHA, and EPA.  These accumulate in every cell membrane of your body and are required for proper cell communication and function.  The importance of these fatty acids to your nerve cells, brain, heart, and arteries is indisputable.  This study points out that they are also needed by muscle cells for more optimal function.

The ability to maintain muscle strength—especially as you age—improves blood sugar metabolism while helping pump more blood to your brain as you move about.  Better muscles contribute to better immunity, better balance, better bones, and overall better quality of health.  The fact that fish oil improves muscle response to exercise, actually improving aspects of muscle dynamics that otherwise do not improve at all with exercise alone, is a very important finding.  It is one more reason to ensure that you get your essential fatty acids, especially DHA, on a regular and consistent basis. 

This particular study was in older women.  However, the findings likely apply to people of every age.  This is also due to the fact that DHA and EPA help resolve the muscle inflammation that is produced during exercise, speeding your recovery for better muscle fitness.

Magnesium is a key anti-inflammatory mineral that relaxes your nerves and arteries, and supports healthy electrical signaling to your heart.  A majority of Americans lack optimal magnesium intake due to a refined-food diet, and soils that lack magnesium from poor farming methods. 

The current study, involving 241,378 participants, is published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition along with an editorial asking for public health officials to take action.  For anyone with common sense, such public health action should be a “no-brainer.”  Who would not be in favor of easy nutrition recommendations to reduce strokes, the number one killer in America?  We could start with the American Heart Association and American Medical Association, not to mention the Food and Drug Administration.  Unfortunately, drug sales trump public health education, especially when good nutrition is the clear winner.

As I mentioned yesterday, flavonoids are now shown to reduce the risk of stroke.  In addition to magnesium, so does DHA from fish oil and vitamin D.  All of these nutrients are common deficiencies in America.

Flavonoids are found in the pigments of many fruits and vegetables.  They represent a wide range of types and are found in red wine, chocolate, and many fruits and vegetables.  Flavonoids have antioxidant properties in general and also support gene signaling in multiple ways that vary considerably based on their type.

In the current study researchers looked at five main types of flavonoids as well as the total sum of flavonoid intake.  One of the encouraging results of the study was that even moderate intake of flavonoids conferred cardiovascular benefit.  Unlike cardiovascular drugs, which have many side effects and offer scant data showing they actually reduce mortality, simply including colorful fresh foods in your diet can make a positive difference to your health.

Many dietary supplements include the flavonoids observed in this study, so it’s easy to fortify your diet.  Some of these flavonoids, like grape seed extract and resveratrol, have built a considerable amount of scientific evidence showing they assist cardiovascular health in a variety of ways.  I would suggest that everyone have a diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. If there are additional cardiovascular concerns, based on family history or current circumstances, then I would suggest extra flavonoids that are known to be helpful to your cardiovascular system.