Brown Fat

Researchers have discovered that over half of adults carry significant amounts of a unique kind of calorie-burning fat, dubbed "brown fat."Health.com: Discovery of Cold-Activated Brown Fat (April 8, 2009) Previously known to exist in babies and small mammals, brown fat is activated by cold temperatures to actually burn calories rather than store them.WebMD: Can Brown Fat Make You Thin? (April 8, 2009) Health.com: Discovery of Cold-Activated Brown Fat (April 8, 2009)

In 2009, three groups of researchers published their findings on brown fat in the April issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. According to their studies, while nearly all adults carry the brown fat, at least 50% have enough to burn nine pounds of standard "white" adipose tissue per year.WebMD: Can Brown Fat Make You Thin? (April 8, 2009) The brown fat's beneficial activity was shown to be triggered by temperatures of 66 degrees and lower.New York Times: Calorie-Burning Fat? Studies Say You Have It (April 8, 2009) Thinner people were shown to carry higher levels of the brown fat, as were younger subjects.New York Times: Calorie-Burning Fat? Studies Say You Have It (April 8, 2009)