Science cold helpful in losing weight? Wrong!

Energy decrypted: Cold does not help in the breakdown of fatty tissue

In recent years, scientific research has suggested that cold may help with weight loss, as the body needs to provide energy at cold temperatures to maintain body temperature. But researchers from Austria now refuted previous assumptions.

Can help with cold losing weight?

Various scientific studies have provided evidence in recent years that cold can help with weight loss. For example, Dutch researchers reported in the online magazine "Cell-Press" about a study in which subjects who were exposed for ten days for six hours a day at temperatures of 15 degrees Celsius, showed an increase in "brown fat cells" which are able to produce heat by the oxidation of fatty acids and therefore, unlike "white fat" does not make you fat. However, scientists from Austria have now gained new insights and refute previous assumptions.

Previous studies have suggested that cold can help you lose weight. However, researchers have refuted previous assumptions. (Picture: Picture-Factory / fotolia.com)

Certain fat cells act like "cogeneration plants"

Cold burns fat: many people are dreaming about getting slim, according to researchers from the Karl-Franzens-University Graz (Austria). In order to maintain body temperature, certain fat cells act like "cogeneration plants," according to a statement from the university.

However, if an important enzyme is missing, the fuel is extracted from other cells or the necessary energy has to be supplied separately.

The working group around Univ.-Prof. Dr. Rudolf Zechner from the Institute of Molecular Biosciences has gained completely new insights in the context of a project of the research cooperation BioTechMed-Graz, which was recently published in the journal "Cell Metabolism".

Previous assumption refuted

The scientists refute in their publication the previous assumption that the degradation of fat by the fat-cleaving enzyme adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) in so-called brown fat cells is crucial to generate sufficient fuel and thus maintain the body temperature in the cold in the range of five degrees to be able to get.

Now it has been demonstrated in the animal model that the lack of ATGL in the brown fat cells is compensated by increased supply of energy from other fat deposits.

"However, if the ATGL is missing in these too, energy must also be supplied through the diet," Dr. Renate Schreiber, the first author of the study, which the Austrian researchers conducted together with colleagues from the Universities of Maastricht (Netherlands) and Pittsburgh (USA).

The enzyme in the heart plays an essential role in ensuring the distribution of heat in the body. "If the ATGL is missing in this organ, it is deadly," says Assoz.-Prof. Dr. Simon Sedej from the Medical University of Graz.

Treatment of obesity

Brown fat cells, originally described only in neonates, were also identified as central "combustion engines" in adults a few years ago.

"The current work makes an important contribution to the understanding of the physiological processes in these" cogeneration plants ", which are indispensable for the development of therapeutic approaches in the treatment of obesity," said Schreiber. (Ad)