For decades, Americans have been warned about the dangers of fat.
We’ve been told to avoid fat in our diet, while sugar and vegetable oils have quietly remained in the spotlight as the real culprits.
Unfortunately, this has led many of us to believe that all body fat is bad.
Of course, it’s true that carrying excess weight can lead to health issues.
But the truth is, not all fat is created equal.
In fact, there is one type of fat that can actually be beneficial to your health, and it’s something you want more of in your body.
This fat is called brown fat.
If you’re hearing about brown fat for the first time, you’re not alone.
Scientists have only recently discovered that adults still have brown fat.
For many years, it was believed that only children had significant amounts of brown fat, and that we lost it as we grew older.
That was until PET scans made it possible for doctors to peer inside our bodies in a way they never could before.
What they found was surprising.
Some adults still have brown fat, and scientists were puzzled as to why only certain people have it.
Our bodies store two types of fat: white fat and brown fat.
Most people are familiar with white fat — it’s the fat we all love to hate.
White fat stores excess calories, contributing to weight gain and potential health problems.
Brown fat, on the other hand, is very different.
Instead of storing energy, brown fat burns it.
It’s responsible for generating heat in our bodies without the need for shivering, which is why it’s sometimes referred to as “good” fat.
Having more brown fat can lead to several health benefits, including a lower risk of heart disease and metabolic conditions like type 2 diabetes.
In fact, studies show that people with more brown fat have a significantly lower risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease.
Research has revealed that brown fat helps by burning glucose, which can help lower blood sugar levels.
Adults with brown fat burn 15 percent more calories than those without it.
Additionally, brown fat may release hormones that aid in lowering blood pressure and improving overall metabolic health.
Even people who are overweight can experience greater health benefits if they have more brown fat alongside their white fat.
So, how can you boost your own brown fat levels as an adult?
A recent study published in the American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism found an unexpected trigger for increasing brown fat: Vitamin B5.
Vitamin B5, also known as pantothenic acid, helps not only increase brown fat but also improves the mitochondria in brown fat cells, which leads to increased calorie burning and better blood sugar control.
You can increase your Vitamin B5 intake by including foods like sunflower seeds, chicken livers, eggs, milk, yogurt, lentils, soybeans, mushrooms, avocado, broccoli, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, and tomatoes in your diet.
If you feel that you’re not getting enough from food, supplements are also available to boost your levels.
By incorporating these foods and increasing your Vitamin B5 intake, you could see an improvement in your metabolism, blood sugar control, and overall health.