The amino acid hack that activates calorie-burning fat cells

Losing weight has never been simple — especially once you hit middle age.

Your metabolism slows, your hormones shift, and suddenly, the same habits that once kept your weight in check stop working.

When this happens, many people turn to extreme strategies to stay slim, from rigid diets to intense workout plans and even fasting.

And let’s not forget those ice baths.

Yes, it’s a fact…

Some of us are willing to dip ourselves into cold water to boost fat loss by activating cold-induced thermogenesis — the process by which our bodies increase calorie burn to stay warm.

But if frigid water or cold temps aren’t your thing, you’ll be glad to know scientists may have discovered a much easier way to activate thermogenesis — without cold exposure.

Boosting the burn without the cold

New research suggests that simply adjusting certain amino acids in your diet could be the key to stimulating the same calorie-burning mechanisms as cold exposure, no cold required.

Researchers at the University of Southern Denmark split mice into two groups. The first group ate a regular diet, while the second group consumed lower levels of two sulfur-containing amino acids: methionine and cysteine. These are amino acids commonly found in protein-rich foods such as red meat, eggs and dairy.

And what they discovered was surprising…

The mice on the lower-methionine and cysteine diet began burning significantly more energy — even though their behavior and food intake remained the same.

As researcher Jan-Wilhelm Kornfeld explained:

“The mice that burned the most energy ate the same amount of food as the others, and they didn’t move more or less. We saw a 20% increase in their thermogenesis. They lost more weight, and it was not because they ate less or exercised more—they simply generated more heat.”

In other words, the animals’ bodies shifted into a higher energy-burning mode — much like what happens when people are exposed to cold temperatures.

But the most interesting discovery wasn’t just the increase in calorie burn. It was where the energy burning happened.

The hidden fat that can help you stay lean

The increased thermogenesis occurred in a specialized type of body fat called beige fat.

If you’ve never heard of this type of fat before, here’s a quick primer…

The type of fat that most people are familiar with is white fat. It’s the type that stores excess calories, contributing to weight gain. Basically, it’s the energy storage hub (and it’s what accumulates around the belly, hips and thighs).

But beige fat behaves very differently.

Beige fat acts more like brown fat, a metabolically active type of fat that actually burns calories — rather than stores them — to generate heat.

I like to think of beige fat as the body’s built-in metabolic furnace.

When activated, these cells can convert stored calories into heat, increasing calorie burn and helping to prevent weight gain.

In fact, past research on beige fat has been so promising that scientists believe activating it may be one of the keys to maintaining a healthy metabolism as we age.

Researchers have even discovered ways to stimulate this process, finding compounds that turn white fat beige to kick your calorie-burning machine into gear.

Altering your amino acids to support healthy weight loss

So what does this research mean for you if you’ve been struggling to lose weight?

The researchers are interested in developing functional foods that are naturally low in methionine and cysteine and could help trigger the body’s calorie burn.

Until then, it’s possible to reduce your intake of methionine and cysteine, which are found in higher amounts in foods like:

• Red meat
• Eggs
• Cheese and dairy
• Some processed protein products

That doesn’t mean that you have to eliminate these foods entirely. But shifting toward a more plant-forward diet, including plenty of fresh fruits and veggies, legumes and whole grains, could help lower your intake of these amino acids. This helps your body activate its own natural fat-burning systems.

And to amp up your thermogenesis, burn more calories, and really kick your weight loss into high gear, be sure to incorporate thermogenic foods into your diet. These include foods such as green tea, cinnamon, ginger, coconut oil, and chili peppers.

Finally, if you really want to burn calories without trying, determine how much NEAT you get each day, so that you can take simple steps to level up. (It’s a secret far too many people ignore, making it harder and harder to take off unwanted pounds.)

Sources:

Diet change may trigger fat burning similar to cold exposure — ScienceDaily

Dietary sulfur amino acid restriction elicits a cold-like transcriptional response in inguinal but not epididymal white adipose tissue of male mice – eLife

Diet-induced thermogenesis explained — Fitness Titbitz

Scientists identify diet that may trigger fat burning without exercise — Medical Dialogues

Diet-induced thermogenesis research announcement — University of Southern Denmark

13 Thermogenic Foods (That Burn Fat & Boost Your Metabolism)  – Tau Saude

Can you increase your metabolism? – Harvard Health Publishing