20/09/2023
Ｂｅｎｅｆｉｔｓ ｏｆ Ｃｏｌｄ
Did you know there are different types of fat in our bodies?
White fat, that must be oxygenated and transported elsewhere to be used. You can think of it like an old car that’s up on blocks. It will run, but needs a bit of work to get back on the road.
Brown fat is the ideal fat because of its thermogenic quality. Being thermogenic means that it is rich in mitochondria (the energy makers in our cells), which in simple terms means that the body can more readily and easily transform these fat cells into energy. As a result, you burn this type of fat more quickly. This car is gassed up and ready to go. You just need to put your foot on the gas pedal!
The third kind of fat is the so-called beige fat. As the name implies, it’s sort of in-between white and brown. It has the potential to become a thermogenic, energy-synthesizing fat (like brown fat) because it also has moderate mitochondrial composition. But it needs a little help to get there. This car is almost drivable, but just needs to be gassed up.
When you expose your body to the cold (by the way, even an AC-filled office can do it!), this process ironically turns on your body’s furnace system as it tries to heat itself back up, which activates your brown and beige fat, and can convert white fat into beige or brown fat cells.
The reason is that when you start shivering, your body releases succinate (which plays a huge role in energy production within mitochondria), which engages with the brown fat, increasing its thermogenesis, and helps activate beige fat and transform it into the brown variety!
So, those cold showers can help you burn fat to create energy! The trick, however, is to make sure that you’re focused on the shivering and ensuring that you don’t become acclimated to the cold — ala Wim Hof– because that’s what kicks off the whole process.
STAY CHILLY 🥶
