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| Fat cells |
Don’t you like to be the
first person in your group to use a new word? Sitting at the dining table commenting
“Excuse me, you have a little bit of food on your philtrum” or “Yes, I know Sebastian, a person with exceptional proxility.” Well now, rather than saying something dull like you have been out
for a walk or a game of squash you can say that you have been increasing your
irisin output.
About a year ago, clever
folk at Harvard University had a study published in the journal Nature. OK, it
was a study done in mice, but it has really excited the research community and
now we are seeing studies in humans too. In essence, it seems that when we
exercise not only do we burn fat and sugar (glucose) we also produce a very
interesting hormone called irisin.
Brown vs white fat cells
Irisin then travels
around the body and modifies fat cells by increasing the number of brown fat
cells and reducing the number of white fat cells. This is good because brown
fat cells **burn** fat while white fat cells **store** fat. And the brown fat
cells keep burning fat after you have finished exercise. Simply put, exercise
burns fat and helps create fat burning brown fat cells, courtesy of irisin. Wait,
there’s more. Irisin also help to fight insulin resistance, one key factor
behind high blood glucose levels and type 2 diabetes.
More research coming
There will now be a
flux of research on irisin. One paper published in December 2012 showed that
obese people had high levels of irisin, suggesting that more is being produced
to help combat high blood glucose levels common in obesity.
Irisin is not the only
protein being secreted by the muscles. Active muscles produce hundreds of
proteins, some doubtless acting as hormones, so irisin may be only one of a
family of “secretory peptides” that act to keep us lean and healthy. They are
part of the explanation why fit people live longer than those who watch endless
hours of mind altering, light emitting machinery.
What does it all mean?
Be active. Be fit. Don’t
wait for irisin tablets or injections. We have been disappointed in the past
with weight loss “breakthroughs”. Early research like this just helps us to
marvel and understand the human body. Once a few more studies are done then expect,
about March 2014 I’d say, the charlatans to spruik potions that “boost your
irisin”. Just roll your eyes and go for a walk and boost your own for free
while getting some vitamin D and a mental refresher at the same time.
Reference:
Boström P
et al. Nature; 481 (7382): 463-468. doi:10.1038/nature10777 2012
1 comment:
Yea, I've studied it. The Researchers at Harvard Medical School say they may have discovered a way to help people lose kilos without even breaking a sweat. They believe the hormone irisin is released when animals and people exercise, and it tells the body to burn fat faster. The hormone turns on a gene that converts white fat into brown fat, which burns more calories for longer.However, the development of a drug for human consumption could take up to a decade, and scientists say their findings so far only scratch the surface of irisin's multiple effects.
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