this post was submitted on 17 Nov 2023
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[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 year ago (2 children)

It’s called brown adipose tissue aka brown fat. Old people are always cold because they often lack brown fat.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

That's why I'm storing up on brown fat in my youth.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Don't non-baby humans lack brown fat in general?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

Not really. Babies have brown fat as default. Adults have white fat which can turn brown in response to cold exposure (not as much as in babies, so it's also called beige fat). Brown of beige though, it works the same - there's a high count of mitochondria in the cells and the tissue can produce heat and make you feel (and be) warmer. It also helps with weight loss, stimulates the immune system and lowers inflammation.