LONDON, April 14 (UPI) -- British scientists are studying why lambs fail to maintain their special deposits of brown fat in hopes of finding a key to human weight loss.
Brown fat, which generates heat, is an important protection for many newborn mammals, including lambs and humans. But, unlike rodents, both species start losing brown fat at birth and quickly shed it all.
"By reactivating natural brown fat, we could lose weight without even trying," said Michael Lomax, head of Animal Science Research at Imperial College London's campus at Wye in Kent.
Brown fat contains Uncoupling Protein 1, which prevents cells from manufacturing the substance that fuels chemical reactions. The cells are then forced to release excess energy as heat.
Lomax told Science magazine unraveling the brown fat secret could be good for both dieters and sheep farmers, who could use a natural heating system to keep their lambs warm during frigid weather conditions.
