How Vitamin A Increase Fat Burning In Cold Conditions? What The Research Says

Learn more ‘How Vitamin A Increase Fat Burning In Cold Conditions?’ A recent study might change your mind if you struggle to get enthusiastic about the prospect of going for a walk or run during the chilly winter months.

In fact, study from the Medical University of Vienna discovered that cold temperatures boost increased amounts of vitamin A, which in turn promotes fat burning. The study was published in the journal Molecular Metabolism.

The body stores excess calories in white body fat, which is then converted to brown fat by this physiological reaction. Brown or white fat can exist in humans. White fat takes up roughly 10% of body weight in healthy people. 2 But when white fat is transformed into brown fat, this promotes the breakdown of fat and the production of heat.

What The Research Says

Researchers from Harvard University in Boston and Rutgers University in New Jersey demonstrated using mice that cold temperatures raise vitamin A levels (which are primarily stored in the liver). Vitamin A aids in the conversion of white fat to brown fat and promotes fat burning. 1

Increases in vitamin A concentrations (and its blood transporter, retinol-binding protein) caused the mice to burn fat more quickly when they were exposed to cold. Their white fat turned into brown fat as the mice struggled to stay warm. 1

However, when the retinol-binding protein, a vitamin A transporter, was inhibited in mice, the mice were unable to shield themselves from the cold because the fat did not turn brown.

Although the study procedure was different for ethical reasons, the researchers also investigated humans. Researchers detected elevated levels of vitamin A after subjecting 30 humans to frigid temperatures. Researchers also took human cells out of four donors’ abdomen fat. Vitamin A was used to activate the cells, and the cells responded by browning. 1

Our research demonstrates that vitamin A is an effective modulator of fat cell function, mediating fat burning in cold weather.

According to the study’s principal investigator, Florian Kiefer, MD, PhD, “our findings demonstrate that vitamin A is a strong regulator of fat cell function, mediating fat burning during cold settings.”

He is hoping that scientists will be able to create new therapeutic approaches for weight gain and obesity as a result of the finding of a novel mechanism by which vitamin A controls lipid combustion and heat production in cold settings. Dr. Kiefer cautioned against trying to lose weight by taking a lot of vitamin A tablets, though.

He says that it’s critical that vitamin A is delivered to the appropriate cells at the appropriate time.

More Research Is Needed

The study, according to endocrinologist Emory Hsu, MD, of Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose, California, is a rather early examination of biological pathways.

It shouldn’t automatically result in over-excitement for a clinical treatment for obesity, he argues, because there are hundreds of thousands of proteins and genes active in adipose cells (fat cells). Untangling all the pathways and identifying those that can be treated clinically will require a lot of research.

The amount of vitamin A you get from your diet or a typical multivitamin should be sufficient for the majority of individuals, negating the need to purchase a vitamin A supplement.

Dr. Hsu continues by saying that there is currently no proof that taking vitamin A supplements can help with obesity.

He argues that vitamin A deficiency is “virtually unheard of in the United States.” The amount of vitamin A you get from your diet or a typical multivitamin should be sufficient for most individuals; there is no need to buy a vitamin A supplement.

The only exceptions might be if you have digestive system problems, such as inflammatory bowel disorders, a history of bariatric surgery, or problems affecting the pancreas (which produces the enzymes that aid in fat digestion), such as cystic fibrosis.

In some circumstances, consulting a nutritionist or your doctor may be worthwhile, according to Dr. Hsu.