Feeding brown fat: dietary phytochemicals targeting non-shivering thermogenesis to control body weight

• Published in: Proceedings of the Nutrition Society Vol. 79; no. 3; pp. 338 - 356
• Main Authors: Horvath, Carla, Wolfrum, Christian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.08.2020
• Subjects: Adipocytes; Adipose tissue; Adipose tissue (brown); Alkaloids; AMP; AMP-activated protein kinase; Animal behavior; Berberine; Bioactive compounds; Body fat; Body weight; Body weight loss; brown adipose tissue; Capsaicin; Catechin; Cholesterol; Cold; Conference on ‘Malnutrition in an obese world: European perspectives’; Diet; Energy; Energy balance; Energy expenditure; estrogens; Fatty acids; Females; FENS 2019; flavanols; Flavonoids; Genotype & phenotype; Glucagon; heat production; Hormones; Human subjects; Isoflavones; Kinases; Low density lipoprotein; luteolin; Natural products; nerve tissue; Non-shivering; Nutrient solutions; Obesity; Overweight; Peptides; Phytochemicals; Plenary Session; Proteins; Quercetin; relapse; Resveratrol; Shivering; Signal transduction; Signs and symptoms; SIRT1 protein; Sympathetic nerves; Thermogenesis; Weight control; Weight loss; Energy expenditure; Brown adipose tissue; Browning; Phytochemicals; Weight management
• ISSN: 0029-6651; 1475-2719; 1475-2719
• DOI: 10.1017/S0029665120006928

Excessive adipose accumulation, which is the main driver for the development of secondary metabolic complications, has reached epidemic proportions and combined pharmaceutical, educational and nutritional approaches are required to reverse the current rise in global obesity prevalence rates. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a unique organ able to dissipate energy and thus a promising target to enhance BMR to counteract a positive energy balance. In addition, active BAT might support body weight maintenance after weight loss to prevent/reduce relapse. Natural products deliver valuable bioactive compounds that have historically helped to alleviate disease symptoms. Interest in recent years has focused on identifying nutritional constituents that are able to induce BAT activity and thereby enhance energy expenditure. This review provides a summary of selected dietary phytochemicals, including isoflavones, catechins, stilbenes, the flavonoids quercetin, luteolin and resveratrol as well as the alkaloids berberine and capsaicin. Most of the discussed phytochemicals act through distinct molecular pathways e.g. sympathetic nerve activation, AMP-kinase signalling, SIRT1 activity or stimulation of oestrogen receptors. Thus, it might be possible to utilise this multitude of pathways to co-activate BAT using a fine-tuned combination of foods or combined nutritional supplements.