What do you know about the types of fat in the body?

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Although the word "fat" is widely used to describe all body fat, there are actually several different types of fat in your body. Certain types of fat can have a negative effect on your health and contribute to disease. Other fats are beneficial and necessary for your health. The main types of fat cells are white, brown, and fat cells. They can be stored as essential fat, subcutaneous or visceral. Each type of fat serves a different role. Some promote healthy metabolism and hormone levels, while others contribute to life-threatening diseases, including: type 2 diabetes, metabolic cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, cancer. In this article, we will provide useful information for users to better understand the different types of fat in the body.

1. What is body fat?

Body fat is excess energy that our body stores to use as fuel while our body signals hunger, protects your organs and keeps the body warm from the cold . It is also known as adipose tissue and can be stored as subcutaneous fat (under the skin) or visceral fat (around the organs). Storing a certain amount of body fat is necessary for survival and good health, but too much unhealthy fat in the body can lead to chronic health problems, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, cancer.

2. Types of fat in the body

2.1. White fat

White fat is made up of large white cells that are stored under the skin or around organs in the abdomen, arms, buttocks and thighs. These fat cells are the body's way of storing energy for later use. This type of fat plays an important role in the function of hormones such as: Estrogen, Leptin (one of the hormones that stimulate hunger), Insulin, Cortisol (stress hormone), and growth hormone GH.
Healthy body fat percentage fluctuates depending on your fitness level or physical activity.
According to the American Council on Exercise , the body fat percentage is broken down as follows:
Medium: The average fat percentage in women is 25 - 31% and in men it is 18 - 24%. Athletes: Fat percentage in average female athlete is 14 - 20% and male athlete is 6 - 13% In bodybuilder : Fat percentage in average woman is 21 - 24 % in men is 14 - 17% In obese people: The average percentage of fat in women is > 32%, in men it is > 25%. When kept at healthy levels white fat is effective in preventing the risk of diabetes and heart disease in the body. But having a body fat percentage higher than recommended can put you at risk for the following health problems:
Type 2 diabetes Coronary artery disease High blood pressure Stroke Hormone imbalance Pregnancy complications Liver disease: fatty liver. .. Kidney failure Cancer Too much white fat also negatively affects metabolism by slowing down metabolism and causing you to gain weight in the most difficult areas to lose weight.

2.2. Brown fat

Brown fat is a kind of good fat, which helps the body burn calories, reduce the percentage of body fat, keep warm and avoid obesity due to diet.
The brown color of this body fat comes from the many iron-rich mitochondria its cells contain, and it darkens when the body is exposed to cold temperatures. This color change occurs when the lipid reserves in the cell are used up. The location is usually in the neck and shoulders.
In fact, brown fat is mainly found in infants. Adults tend to have much lower levels of brown fat.
Researchers and scientists are actively looking for ways to convert unhealthy fats in the body into brown fat, in order to provide a solution to obesity. The bottom line is that whether or not you can work to convert coated fat into brown fat, you still need to exercise regularly, maintain good nutrition, and get enough sleep.

2.3. Beige fat

Beige (or brite) fat is a relatively new area of ​​research, many people don't even know about. Similar to brown fat, beige cells may help burn fat rather than store it.
One reason that beige fat cells were not selected in previous studies of body fat is because these fat cells function in the region between brown and white fat cells, may look like white fat cells until they turn brown.
This browning occurs when the body is subjected to cold temperatures or regular exercise (when the hormone irisin is released). After the beige fat turns brown, it begins to burn the excess calories with the same white fat as the brown fat.
Beige fat is found mostly in adults, they are scattered throughout the body as well as found in the collarbone and spine.

2.4. Essential Fats

Essential fats are essential for your life and a healthy body. This fat is found in:
Brain Bone marrow Nerves Protective membranes of organs Essential fats play an important role in the regulation of hormones, including hormones that control fertility, absorption and absorption. vitamins and temperature regulation.
According to the American Council on Exercise, women need at least 10 to 13% of their body composition to come from essential fats for good health, while men need at least 2 to 5 %

2.4. Subcutaneous fat

Subcutaneous fat is considered a type of storage fat, but low levels are usually located in the folds of the skin and are considered one of the identifiable body fats. Fitness professionals use calipers to measure subcutaneous fat as a way of estimating total body fat percentage.
They are a combination of brown, beige and white fat cells. Compared to visceral fat, subcutaneous fat is classified as a slightly lower risk depending on its location on the body. A certain amount of subcutaneous fat is normal and healthy, but too much can lead to imbalanced hormone levels and sensitivity. Another risk is overproduction of estrogen, which can occur in both sexes when excess subcutaneous fat is stored. It causes rapid weight gain, which in turn increases the risk of developing similar health conditions, as well as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

2.5. Visceral fat

Unlike other types of fat in the body, visceral fat is considered the most dangerous when it is not in its proper place, potentially directly causing serious health problems for those who store it. it's excessive.
As the name suggests, these fats can wrap themselves around vital organs, such as the heart, liver, kidneys and intestines, they're not harmful when in healthy amounts. However, excess visceral fat is very dangerous and can rapidly increase the risk of health conditions such as:
Blood cholesterol Diabetes Heart disease Atherosclerosis Dementia

3. Benefits of fat in the body

3.1. Store energy in the body

To sustain our daily activities our bodies need energy, and one of the benefits of fats is that when we consume them at a healthy level, we get the energy we need.
If you eat too much fat, you run the risk of storing extra fat and fatigue. Storing extra fat can actually cause your gut to release hormones that slow your response, which means you'll feel more tired than usual.
However, if you don't consume enough fat then you will definitely run out of energy, but the difference between eating too much fat and being tired is that you won't store any energy, and This can be detrimental to your health.

3.2. Prevent disease

One of the lesser known benefits of body fat is that it is effective in stopping diseases that tend to spread to us when our immune systems are low.
In addition, maintaining a healthy level of body fat can help keep you away from more dangerous and life-threatening illnesses such as; obesity, heart disease, stroke and some forms of cancer.

3.3. Regulate body temperature

Brown and beige fats are stored by our body to burn calories and white fats create a feeling of warmth and are therefore classified as healthy body fats.
If we don't store enough fat, we won't last long (especially in winter!). We need a healthy level of fat enough to regulate body temperature.

3.4. Maintain a healthy metabolism

Keeping the metabolism running smoothly is essential to good health, and it is important to meticulously monitor fat storage in the body to ensure that it works.
When we eat a balanced diet along with a regular exercise routine, we reduce unhealthy fat storage and build healthier types of body fat. The healthier our fat stores, the faster and more efficient our metabolism becomes.
This is because those fat stores are supporting our metabolism rather than storing it.
Excess energy is stored as fat, and so our metabolism is overworked and cannot burn that energy. If we stop overworking and give it the right amount of energy to burn, it will work at its best.

3.5. Increases absorption of vitamins

Having a healthy body fat percentage is important for optimal vitamin absorption, especially as not all vitamins are water soluble. A non-trivial amount of essential fat-soluble vitamins such as (vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K), and thus they are better absorbed when they are consumed with healthy fats
By So the next time you take your vitamins, be sure to add them with a source of healthy fats, such as avocados, eggs, nuts, peanut butter, or maybe a piece of dark chocolate.

3.6. Hormone balance

Healthy balanced hormone levels are something we all aspire to, especially as they help regulate heart rate, appetite, temperature, metabolism, stress levels and other important factors. other important.
White fat is one of the main fats that control and regulate hormones, but it's also often stored in unhealthy amounts. To gain the benefits of body fat, we should definitely keep a close eye on the amount of fat we consume and aim to get rid of the unhealthy stores in our body. A menu with foods high in Omega 3 is an ideal choice.

3.7. Reduce the risk of injury

Fat acts as a cushion for your bones, muscles, joints and vital organs when stored at healthy levels. Visceral fat is no exception to this benefit, but only if it's in moderation.

3.8. Regulate blood sugar

In particular, white fat is very good for blood sugar regulation because it produces adiponectin, which in turn contributes to muscle and liver regulation.
When stimulated, insulin works to control blood sugar and convert energy obtained from food into body fat.
It also ensures that glucose is absorbed by muscles, body fat and liver so that energy can be consumed appropriately and not stored as unhealthy fat (which is what happens). occurs when the body consumes too much food).
When the body consumes more than it needs, there is too much glucose in the blood to use for energy and the excess is stored as fat.
However, if you maintain a healthy lifestyle and consume the right amount of food, white fat will work properly and keep your blood sugar under control!

3.9. May enhance fertility (mainly in females)

One of the reasons why it is difficult for women to conceive is because their estrogen levels are too low.
When sex hormones like estrogen and progesterone are low, the chances of conceiving are reduced and the chances of getting pregnant are slim. To regulate the level of this hormone, it is recommended to maintain a healthy level of fat in the body through exercise and a healthy diet.
This is one of the great benefits of body fat, as without a significant amount women may not have periods, which is especially bad for their health.

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References: healthline.com, origympersonaltrainercourses.co.uk