Reverse Fat-Storing Cells into Fat-burning Ones

Fat Cells Can be Fat-Storing or Fat-Burning

Obesity is the result of an imbalance between energy consumed and energy dissipated and the focus of many weight-loss programs is to cut down on the calorie intake part and increase the calorie expenditure part. This might help you reach your target weight, but maintaining it in the long run becomes a challenge.

Sadly, non-invasive treatments such as diets or drugs are not embraced by many individuals while the more invasive bariatric surgery seems to be the favorite choice of obese people despite being expensive and causing side effects.

A new study has tried to put an end to all these procedures with the discovery of a specific group of bile acid that has the ability to burn away the lipids in our fat tissues. These bile acids are present in the bile and are secreted into the intestines during the course of a meal. Bile helps to break down dietary fat into tiny globules that can further be broken down by the digestive enzymes so that it can be absorbed by the intestine.

Research scientists have made a breakthrough discovery that the bile acid can convert fat-storing cells into fat-burning ones. Named as thermogenesis (heat production), this process helps to maintain body temperature in cold environments being loyal to its name.

Fat cells are of three types:

• White fat cells that store energy
• Brown fat cells that expel energy
• Beige fat cells that are located in white cells and functionally related to brown cells

The beige fat cells are gaining prominence as adults have decreased number of brown adipocytes that burn energy. Is there any way in which we can turn white cells into beige cells, that is change fat-storing cells into fat-burning ones? The researches found that secondary bile acids, metabolites formed in our liver and gut bacteria can help in this process.

How White Cells Become Beige Ones
Activating the bile acid receptor TGR5 with mimetics (molecules that mimic the functionality of bile acid) triggers the remodeling of white cells into beige cells. Then, bile acid interacts with TGR5 receptor on white fat cells to change them from fat-storing to fat-burning cells. Apart from the change in color of the cells, these bile acids increase energy consumption in the newly formed beige cells.
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These mimetics also trigger lipolysis where the fat cells use fatty acids as their fuel source. This correlation between bile acids and fat loss can pave way for an excellent treatment approach in obese individuals. The advantage here is that low concentrations of TGR5 receptors are more than enough to promote the formation of beige cells from white ones.