BABIES DON'T SHIVER!! What is Brown Fat??

Brown fat, aka “brown adipose tissue”, is a type of fat found in mammals that is specialized for the generation of heat. Unlike white fat, which stores energy, brown fat burns energy to produce heat through a process known as thermogenesis. This process helps to maintain body temperature and has been studied as a potential therapy for obesity and diabetes.

The benefits of having brown fat include:

increased calorie burn, improved glucose metabolism, decreased inflammation, and increased insulin sensitivity. Cold exposure, regular exercise, and a diet high in polyunsaturated fats,

Non-Shivering Thermogenesis (NST):

NST is a process by which mammals, including humans, generate heat without the use of shivering. While shivering thermogenesis is a process by which the body generates heat through the contraction of muscles, NST is a process by which heat is generated by the activity of specialized cells, such as brown fat cells. Brown fat cells contain a high density of mitochondria, which are able to burn fuel, primarily glucose and fatty acids, to generate heat. The heat generated by the activity of brown fat cells helps to maintain body temperature.

NEWBORNS DO NOT SHIVER!!

Newborns do not shiver to generate heat because they do not have the nervous system maturity to coordinate the muscle contractions necessary for shivering. Instead, they rely on non-shivering thermogenesis (NST) to generate heat and maintain body temperature. Newborns have a higher proportion of brown fat than adults, which helps them to generate heat and maintain body temperature.

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