Unlocking the Secrets of Metabolism and Fat Storage.

Researchers at Cornell University have discovered that stimulating the production of beige fat cells could reverse the effects of a slowing metabolism, which could prevent age-related weight gain and associated health disorders like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and chronic inflammation. Beige fat has the same thermogenic properties as brown fat, which means it helps to reduce blood sugar and the fatty acids that cause hardening of the arteries and heart disease. The researchers identified a specific signaling pathway that suppresses beige fat formation in older mice by antagonizing the immune system, and by suppressing that pathway in aging mice, they were able to prompt beige fat production in aged animals that otherwise would not.