Posted on 02/04/2022 11:04:37 AM PST by Red Badger
Flavor your food with ‘flavanols’ to burn excess fat, new study suggests.
Dietary intake of flavan-3-ols, type of dietary polyphenolics, could help prevent obesity by sympathetic nervous system-induced browning of fat tissue.
In cold conditions, brown adipose tissue (BAT) or brown fat generates heat to keep the body warm. Compared with white adipose tissue, BAT has more mitochondria—subcellular organelles associated with energy production—which allows it to burn calories and produce heat by activating the mitochondrial uncoupling protein 1 (Ucp-1). The stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) after cold exposure, exercise, and calorie restriction is well known to induce fat browning. Dietary polyphenols may also activate BAT, causing heat to be dissipated from our bodies. BAT activation and white fat browning are thus both therapeutically significant in the fight against cardiovascular diseases and their comorbidities.
A group of scientists examined the browning of fat induced by dietary administration of flavan-3-ols (flavanols / FLs), a family of “catechin” containing polyphenols abundant in cocoa, apple, grapeseed, and red wine. In a new study published in the journal Nutrients, the team led by Professor Naomi Osakabe of Graduate School of Engineering and Science, Shibaura Institute of Technology, Japan proved that FLs enhance browning of adipose tissue by activating the SNS. The findings revealed a direct correlation between fat browning and FLs consumption, which could help researchers develop new treatments for obesity-related diseases.
Scientists show that flavan-3-ols (FLs), a group of food constituents present in cocoa, apple, and grapeseed, are effective in combating obesity and preventing lifestyle-related diseases, by inducing fat browning. The image shows histochemical observations of FL-untreated (left) and FL-treated (right) mice inguinal adipose. Repeated administration of FLs led to considerable fat browning, as evident from the multilocular morphology of the fat tissues (right). Credit: Naomi Osakabe, Shibaura Institute of Technology
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The authors of this study had previously discovered that a single oral dose of FLs caused fat burning and increased skeletal muscle blood flow. Here, they investigated the effects of single and multiple dose administration of FLs in mouse adipose tissue and found that FLs activate fat browning via the SNS, which secretes “catecholamine” neurotransmitters such as adrenaline (AD) and noradrenaline (NA). They fed cocoa-derived FLs to distinct groups of mice in two independent sets of experiments. One group was given a single dose of FLs over the course of 24 hours, and their urine was collected for testing. The other group received repeated doses for 14 days before being dissected for the collection of brown and white fat. All adipose samples were tested for gene and protein markers that indicate fat browning, while the urine samples were tested specifically for AD and NA levels.
Higher concentrations of AD and NA in the urine following a single dose of FL clearly demonstrated SNS activation. Although the use of urine samples to evaluate SNS activation is still controversial in clinical research, it has been validated in stressed rodents. “Oral administration of FLs likely activate the SNS because they are considered stressors in these models,” explains Prof Osakabe.
The team then used the obtained adipose tissue to investigate the effects of long-term FL treatment. They were thrilled to discover that the white fat of mice who were fed FLs for 14 days eventually turned brown. Some of these cells also had notable structural changes, such as “multilocular phenotype,” and appeared to be smaller than normal cells. Since BAT dissipates heat energy, does long-term FL consumption change the amounts of heat-related proteins? To answer this question, the scientists showed that Ucp-1 levels, as well as other high temperature-linked proteins, increased in mice fed repeated doses of FLs. Browning markers, referred to as “beige markers” in this study, were also abundant in these mice. “All of these proteins work together to induce the development of the BAT phenotype,” exclaims Prof. Osakabe.
The team believes that the results of their study may contribute to the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases. Interestingly, this is not the first time FLs have worked wonders. Improvements in glucose and insulin tolerance have been seen after just one dose of FL-rich food administration. These findings taken together highlight the need of discussing both the acute and chronic aspects of the metabolic responses generated by FLs consumption.
It is evident from this research that the SNS activity in response to FLs intake caused the observed changes in mice fat. “Although the mechanism of adipose browning is not fully understood, it is possible that repeated administration of FLs may produce browning via catecholamines and its receptors,” explains Prof. Osakabe. “Further studies will be required to understand how this process is induced by FL-rich foods,” she concludes.
Reference:
“Repeated Oral Administration of Flavan-3-ols Induces Browning in Mice Adipose Tissues through Sympathetic Nerve Activation” by Yuko Ishii, Orie Muta, Tomohiro Teshima, Nayuta Hirasima, Minayu Odaka, Taiki Fushimi, Yasuyuki Fujii and Naomi Osakabe, 24 November 2021, Nutrients.
DOI: 10.3390/nu13124214
Or just eat stuff you don’t really like that much so you won’t be a pig 🤪
This is my cynical side showing, but it sounds to me like someone wants to sell something.
Some super duper diet pills coming down the pipe.
I always thought adding cayenne pepper would automatically burn more calories.
An apple a day, keeps the doctor away ...
“polyphenols abundant in... and red wine.”
OK, the science is settled. Hittin’ the bottle tonight.
Selling fruit, olives, wine, and chocolate?
Basically, eat colorful food.
It’s well-settled that these organics really help with blood vessels, so this is not surprising.
Good point!
Hmmm...
According to a science documentary on Dr Who that I watched, white adipose is far more efficient for weight loss...
While growing up, when my baby sister was learning to cook, everybody lost weight, she made everything taste like it was burnt.
Sold! Can't argue with the science, y'know.
I’ve never been a fan of wine. My wife, when she was my fiance, insisted I hadn’t tried GOOD wine. So I tried GOOD wine. I don’t like wine.
So, years later, after a heart attack, my cardiologist recommended I have a small glass of red wine each night to help control cholesterol.
You know, turns out I’d rather die than drink that stuff.
I’ll do the chocolate.
Did she grow up in England?
My wife used to watch Hells Kitchen. I used to laugh when he would yell, “Its raw!”
Like an Englishman would have any idea.
Eat 60% - 90% chocolate bars instead of sweetened chocolate. You get used to it and prefer it after a while. I worked from the 60% bar to 90% slowly. Now I prefer the less sweet chocolate.
I can’t stand most wines. It turns out I’m able to taste a common additive that most people can’t taste. It makes commercial wines taste moldy. I’ve found one winery nearby that doesn’t use it, I can stand to drink their wines. And after liking a wine that my grandfather made, I tried making some of my own, and those tasted ok. But, it’s not something I’ll ever go out of my way to drink. The alcohol detracts from the taste of the fruit juice, in my opinion.
I have no idea if you’re tasting the same additive, but thought I’d throw that out there. Doesn’t matter if it’s “good wine” or not, nearly all commercial wines are made with it. I can’t remember the name, but it’s meant to control the rate of fermentation.
(Story time: My dad decided to “prove” that I didn’t know what I was doing, and started a batch of wine at the same time I did. He used every additive he could find that was meant for winemaking, bought fancy specialized yeast, etc. It smelled like a high school chemistry lab crossed with someone’s stinky gym socks. It was HORRIBLE!!! And then there was mine, which was just sugar, fruit (butternut squash to be exact, since it was what I had the most of), and the same kind of yeast I bought to make bread with. People keep asking me to make it again.)
I usually go for the dark chocolate these days, although mine are in the 72-85% range. When I started keto I even made an unsweetened chocolate syrup for making chocolate milk with, that’s something I never thought I’d do!
But I generally have a berry smoothie with dinner, and it has lots of extra protein and nutrients added, along with a tablespoon of dark cocoa. I might see how it tastes with 2.
I didn’t eat chocolate until I went on a Keto diet. Now the low and unsweetened stuff is great. They even make some 60% dark chocolate, Lindor Truffles. If you eat the shell and spit the gooey out they are really low carb. Not that I have done that after sneaking them from the wifes stash. ;>)
Top sources:
dried parsley
raw parsley
blueberries
raw red cherries
raw cranberries
raw strawberries
raw red cabbage
brewed black tea
raw oranges and lemons
raw onions
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