Do you know the 4 types of body fat?

Most of us think of fat (also known as the adipose tissue) as a kitchen cabinet on our body – a system for storing excess calories in which we can immerse ourselves if we find ourselves in a pinch or a long hike without a mixture of a path. Although this is partly true, there are different types of body fat that serve different purposes.

So if you are hellish losing body fat Or maintaining a low percentage of body fat, you can inhibit some of the normal functions of your body, such as blood circulation and repair and construction of new cells.

« Fat is one of the main building blocks of a living, functioning person, » explains Dr. Jillian Godard, Doctor of Medicine, General Endocrinologist and Assistant Assistant in Medicine at NYU Langone Hospital. « Fat is definitely not just a inert storage for excess energy or excess calories. »

Learn about the role of body fat and how its different species differ.

1. White fat

« White fat cells are large spots with a large lipid (fat) drop in the middle and a small edge of cell machines, » explains Godard. White fat is the type that is mostly storing excess energy.

There are two forms of white fat that you are probably familiar with: subcutaneous and visceral.

Subcutaneous fat

For most people, subcutaneous fats are mainly made of white fat cells and are a layer of fat just below your skin. It is found most in the hands, legs and abdomen, storing excess calories and helping you to warm you as a natural layer of insulation.

« When you maintain a healthy body weight, subcutaneous fats are reluctant to be metabolic harmful or contribute to insulin resistance, » Godard says. In accordance with the movement of body positivity, it is quite possible to have curves and be fit.

This was said, if you have ever seen a photo of yourself and thought twice about posting it because of its slightly looking legs (also known as cellulite), subcutaneous fat is guilty. Cellulite occurs when fat is pressed through the connective tissue under your skin.

Visceral fat

If you want to mark a kind of fat like « bad fat », visceral fat or deep fat would be that. It is made entirely of white fat cells and shapes in the abdomen and around your organs. The presence of visceral fat is normal but excessive amounts can Increase your risk diabetes and other serious diseases such as liver dysfunction.

« Visceral fat is one of the largest contributing factors to the health effects arising from excess body fat, » Godard says.

Perhaps the most clear indication of excess visceral fat is to have a firm « beer belly », but you also need to pay attention to the size of the waist. If you are a woman with a waist circumference, greater than 35 inches or a man with a waist circumference greater than 40, you probably have enough visceral fat to have a negative effect on your health.

2. Brown fat

One of the biggest changes in defining the types of body fat in the last decade – and the potentially the most brute – is the addition of a new category: brown fat.

Compared to white fats, brown fat cells have a small lipid droplet and much more dense cell components, which make it look brown. These components include mitochondria, where fatty acids and glucose (sugar) are burned, producing heat.

Contrary to all your lazy fat cell warnings, this is a metabolic active type of fat that is currently being studied for its potential use in obesityS

« In the past, it was thought that only babies had brown fat, » Godard explains. « However, adults also have brown fats. » Brown fats help to regulate body temperature, which is why babies have so many of it. But after you develop your muscles to heat you, you lose the greater part of this « baby fat ».

In adults, it is found in the areas where your neck connects to your torso, above your clavicle and down your spine. The amount also varies between people.

While this type of fat burns calories, it is difficult to win. It definitely does not involve the removal of pints of ice cream, unfortunately.

« Researchers have found that exposure to cold temperatures can help build it, » Godard says. But it’s not as simple as you go cold in the morning in shorts – or standing in the freezer section, debating the aromas of ice cream. Some studies have detected prolonged exposure to temperatures of 60 degrees or less can cause its production.

3. Beige fat

When it comes to fat spectrum, beige fat occupies a gray area. Research suggests These mice are able to convert white fat cells into what is known as beige fat, and that this « browning » of white fat cells cells Can also happen to peopleS

It is usually found in deposits with peas size near the clavicle and spine, beige fat is like brown fat as it burns calories and produces heat. But also, like brown fat, beige fat is a relatively recent discovery and it remains unknown to it, says Godard.