Brown adipose tissue and human obesity/metabolic disease

Researchers reviewed studies in people and animals rather than running one new human trial. Brown fat is body fat that burns energy to produce heat. In adults, cold exposure can activate some brown fat, and people with more active brown fat often appear leaner and have better blood sugar control. The evidence was still limited, and it did not show that activating brown fat reliably causes weight loss or prevents type 2 diabetes, a disease involving high blood sugar.

What this means for you: This review does not justify buying supplements or special products that claim to activate brown fat. Brown fat is an interesting research target, but the health benefits for everyday people were not yet proven.