Plant-based compound could be successful for weight management
Though nothing can replace diet and exercise when it comes to healthy weight loss, researchers may be one step closer to an appealing supplement that increases fat burn. According to research from China, the plant compound berberine, found in traditional Chinese herbal medicines, may trigger the body to burn additional calories through the stimulation of brown fat. This is not the first research to evaluate the importance of brown fat when it comes to weight; in 2012, data presented by Dr. André Carpentier, an endocrinologist at the University of Sherbrooke in Quebec, found brown fat essentially draws ordinary fat from the rest of the body to convert into heat. SEE ALSO: Does shivering count as exercise? Brown fat is considered to be an adaptation to colder temperatures, and individuals who live in cold climates typically have higher levels of brown fat compared to people in warmer regions. This base purpose of body temperature increase was seen during the research; mice that were injected daily with berberine for four weeks burned more calories than the mice that were not injected with the compound, also generating more heat when they were exposed to cold air than the mice that were not injected with the compound. Consequently, because the body needs to produce more energy–burn more calories–to maintain a higher temperature, the ability to lose weight increases. “Our works demonstrate the positive function of [berberine] in energy balance,” study author Guang Ning, of the China National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, told Live Science. “Although our work [yields] exciting results, it remains hard to say that it can be used freely as [a] weight-reducing drug.” Ning indicated more research is needed before berberine can be converted into a form available for public consumption, but the results are promising. SEE ALSO: Your digestive system is key to your weight loss journey Not only did berberine stimulate brown fat to burn calories, it caused white fat (the undesired form of body fat) to start to brown, suggesting that over time the use of berberine could slowly increase caloric burn. It is not yet known, however, how much of the plant compound an individual would have to take to achieve weight loss results. [ione_facebook_like_box url_segment=Saludify height=”200″]
Though nothing can replace diet and exercise when it comes to healthy weight loss, researchers may be one step closer to an appealing supplement that increases fat burn.
According to research from China, the plant compound berberine, found in traditional Chinese herbal medicines, may trigger the body to burn additional calories through the stimulation of brown fat.
This is not the first research to evaluate the importance of brown fat when it comes to weight; in 2012, data presented by Dr. André Carpentier, an endocrinologist at the University of Sherbrooke in Quebec, found brown fat essentially draws ordinary fat from the rest of the body to convert into heat.
SEE ALSO: Does shivering count as exercise?
Brown fat is considered to be an adaptation to colder temperatures, and individuals who live in cold climates typically have higher levels of brown fat compared to people in warmer regions. This base purpose of body temperature increase was seen during the research; mice that were injected daily with berberine for four weeks burned more calories than the mice that were not injected with the compound, also generating more heat when they were exposed to cold air than the mice that were not injected with the compound.
Consequently, because the body needs to produce more energy–burn more calories–to maintain a higher temperature, the ability to lose weight increases.
“Our works demonstrate the positive function of [berberine] in energy balance,” study author Guang Ning, of the China National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, told Live Science. “Although our work [yields] exciting results, it remains hard to say that it can be used freely as [a] weight-reducing drug.” Ning indicated more research is needed before berberine can be converted into a form available for public consumption, but the results are promising.
SEE ALSO: Your digestive system is key to your weight loss journey
Not only did berberine stimulate brown fat to burn calories, it caused white fat (the undesired form of body fat) to start to brown, suggesting that over time the use of berberine could slowly increase caloric burn. It is not yet known, however, how much of the plant compound an individual would have to take to achieve weight loss results.
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