What is Ursolic Acid?

Ursolic acid is a molecule (from a class of chemicals called pentacyclic triterpenoids) which increases brown fat production. (Brown fat burns calories vs white fat which stores them).

Ursolic acid is found in apple peel, holy basil, rosemary leaf, yerba mate.

This molecule shows some promise for supplementation by body builders except that it has a very low bioavailabily (.6%).

It may also have an anti-tumour effect as well as reduce fight or flight activity. 

How can you stimulate the production of brown fat?

Exercise stimulates an enzyme called irisin which helps turn white fat into brown fat.

Ursolic acid (found in apple peel and other foods) can boost the body's production of brown fat.

Melatonin can help increase beige fat (which is like brown fat).

Being cold (i.e. shivering) makes brown fat more active (meaning more calories are burnt).

What is Brown Fat?

Brown fat is also known as Brown Adipose Tissue (as opposed to White Adipose Tissue).

It's called brown because it's darker than white fat due to the presence of mitochondria (the cell engine). This means that brown fat resembles muscle more than it does fat.

Brown fat has a blood supply and burns calories to help keep us warm.

Brown fat speeds up the body's metabolism and people with low BMI's seem to have more brown fat.

Brown fat is hard to find on the body as it's mixed in with white fat cells in fat tissue.