Weight gain avoided by plant-based compound

A recent study has found a compound in plants that can burn fat. "Berberine", which is also found in many Chinese herbal medicines, has been known to trigger an increase in the activity of a heat producing tissue in mice called brown fat. The researchers said that the mice injected with this compound for four consecutive weeks burned more fat in them than the mice that were not. They also generated extra heat when they were exposed to cold air. The extra heat generated concludes into a rise in temperature of around 39-46 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, the berberine was also found to be affective in protecting the mice from additional weight gain.

The researchers' work demonstrated a very positive function of berberine in balancing energy. Brown fat, unlike white fat, tends to burn energy rather than storing it. It does so by constantly generating heat and keeping the body warm for faster metabolism and therefore, digestion of food. In a study that was published in the Diabetes journal showed that the men who had higher levels of brown fat burned more calories when they were exposed to lower temperatures in the environment.

Berberine, in this regard, tends to activate the brown fat qualities in the white fat - meaning that the white fat starts to burn itself by acquiring the qualities of brown fat. Hence, for reducing body weight, berberine would sound to be the perfect solution. It at least did so among mice. The mice that were injected with berberine, inconsistently (depending on the fat content in their bodies) lost weight.

The researchers claim that their experiments have given them exciting results, however it is difficult to believe that it can be used to cut fat all on its own. More research is still required in a clinical setting to prove that it is safe to take and it will reduce weight in human bodies. Currently, we don't even know how much berberine will be required by the human body to see obvious results.

According to a previous study on the effects of berberine; the compound has shown metabolic benefits that would even lower the cholesterol levels and protect users against diabetes. This study was conducted on 36 people, all of whom had type-2 diabetes. Berberine was shown to reduce the triglyceride levels and the cholesterol levels in these patients. Even though some patients did face the problems of diarrhea and constipation from this herb.

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