Activate brown fat
Brown fat is a real energy powerhouse in the human body. It is currently seen as the hope in the fight against obesity and the key to successful weight loss. In order for it to develop its full potential, brown fat must first be activated. In this blog post, you can find out how activation works, what is behind the term brown fat cells and what influence new routines and an adapted diet can have on your health.

What is brown fat?
Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a type of fat cell in the human body. It differs from the usual white fat. Other mammals - with the exception of pigs - also have brown fat cells. They contain a particularly large number of mitochondria, the "power plants of the cell", which contain a particularly large number of iron-containing proteins and thus provide the special yellow-brownish color of the tissue.
Newborns in particular have brown fat cells. These are mainly concentrated around the neck, between the shoulder blades and around the kidneys. About 15 years ago, researchers discovered that adults also still have brown fat - albeit much less than newborns. Here it is mainly located in the neck area, on the collarbones and along the spine. Adults only have around 50 to 300 grams of brown fat in their bodies. This may not sound like much, but it has a major impact on the body.
Adults can take advantage of the fact that brown adipose tissue burns more calories than any other cell type in the human body. Because if they activate their brown fat, they can significantly increase their energy turnover. Activating brown fat cells can therefore help to protect against obesity or reduce weight. In addition, brown fat helps to control blood lipid levels and blood sugar levels and improves insulin levels. This can prevent or support the treatment of metabolic complications of obesity, such as type 2 diabetes. It is no wonder that the activation of brown adipose tissue as part of so-called "biohacking" is in vogue and attracting more and more attention.
How can brown fat cells be activated?
There are several methods to activate brown fat cells. This is because brown fat does not simply support our body, it must be explicitly activated by a stimulus. This can mainly happen by staying outside our temperature comfort zone. But brown fat can also be activated through our diet.
Activate brown fat with cold

Brown fat can be activated particularly well with the help of cold. This is the typical stimulus that "switches on" our body's own heating system, so to speak. Targeted cold stimuli or lowering the room temperature by a few degrees increase the activity of brown adipose tissue.
The process is simple: skin sensors report cold stimuli to the brain, which then activates the brown adipose tissue. The brown adipose tissue then stabilizes the body temperature by burning calories and generating heat that is distributed throughout the body by the blood.
Anyone who spends two hours a day at 17 degrees or less and lowers the daytime temperature in their home to 19 degrees can activate their brown fat with the help of the cold. Cold showers and ice baths also help to activate brown fat tissue. The important thing is that the cold stimuli must be applied regularly - if the cold is not applied for a few days, the brown fat that has been painstakingly built up will turn back into white fat.
Activate brown fat cells through diet

Brown fat cells can also be activated by certain foods - especially by capsinoids and capsaicin, which are found in hot peppers and chili peppers. These compounds stimulate brown adipose tissue and promote the burning of calories for heat production. Studies by Japanese researchers at the University of Tokyo show that capsaicin can increase the activity of brown adipose tissue and thus increase energy consumption. In addition to hot spices, other foods such as green tea, which is rich in catechins, and ginger can also promote the activity of brown fat cells. Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish oil, also support the activation of brown fat. A balanced diet rich in these natural activators can therefore help to boost the metabolism. However, the effects are less pronounced than when activating brown fat cells through cold.
Converting white fat into brown fat - is that possible?
Yes, the transformation of white fat into brown fat is possible and occurs through the formation of so-called "beige fat". Beige fat is formed when white fat cells receive certain stimuli that change their structure and function. These stimuli can be triggered by exposure to cold, physical activity or certain food components such as capsaicin and catechins. Beige fat is similar to brown fat in that it also contains many mitochondria, which generate heat and burn calories. Studies have shown that regular exposure to cold, such as cold baths or wearing lighter clothing at low temperatures, can promote the formation of beige fat. A protein-rich diet and the consumption of green tea and hot spices also help to activate this process. Targeted stimulation can therefore help to improve the metabolism and increase fat burning.

Promote health with ice baths, saunas and a balanced diet
For evolutionary reasons, our body is designed to utilize food effectively and build up reserves for bad times. In today's affluent society, however, this is no longer necessary - and as there is no endogenous weight loss program for excess weight, many people find it difficult to maintain their desired weight in the long term. Activating brown adipose tissue in a targeted manner can help to burn excess calories, achieve a feeling of satiety more quickly and burn liver fat.
By the way: Visits to the sauna can also help to activate brown fat. What sounds paradoxical at first has a simple explanation: between the individual sauna sessions and especially at the end of the sauna session, the body is cooled down again and again, for example through cold showers, in the plunge pool or in cold air. The heat in the sauna also helps to boost the metabolism and thus fat burning. In this way, brown fat cells can be activated by sauna sessions:
- Cold stimulus: After a sauna session, when the body cools down quickly, the skin sensors report the sudden cold to the brain.
- Activation of the sympathetic nervous system: This message activates the sympathetic nervous system, which releases noradrenaline.
- Activation of brown adipose tissue: Noradrenaline acts on the brown fat cells and activates their thermogenic function. The cells begin to burn calories to generate heat.
Incidentally, you can achieve particularly good effects by going to the sauna after sport. The physical activity promotes blood circulation, stimulates the metabolism and strengthens the heart and circulation. The subsequent alternation between heat and cold helps to increase well-being and even activate brown adipose tissue. If you lead an active lifestyle, eat a healthy and balanced diet and regularly include the above-mentioned foods in your diet, you can also support your health and well-being.
Find out about other topics relating to health, wellness and biohacking in our magazine. As experts in wellness and sauna construction in Switzerland, we regularly offer you exciting new insights into a wide range of health and wellness topics. We are also happy to advise you if you would like to integrate a sauna, steam bath, pool or ice bath into your home so that you can enjoy the beneficial effects of heat or cold at any time.